


What If

by Marta_TP



Series: What The Hell Series [1]
Category: Orphan Black (TV)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-05
Updated: 2015-02-06
Packaged: 2018-03-10 14:47:20
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 26,925
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3294323
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Marta_TP/pseuds/Marta_TP
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Canonish - Cosima along with the rest of the clones were summoned to a introduction to society. In the mist of all the madness, the geeky clone is drawn to the woman who saved her life. However the doctor seems to be more than meets the eye.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Have you ever played the game of "What if..."? Cosima has, many times. Sometimes alone in bed, when the nights' insisting on not bringing a restful sleep or with a body she became familiar with in the last few months (or hours) wrapped around her. She played that game, imagining scenarios that would never come to fruition. However, in the many nights she spent awake, she never considered this possibility.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a little thing: I'm not a native speaker, so my English can be a little rougher sometimes, I apologize in advance. Thanks for reading.

Cosima woke up early, the sun barely peeking its top over the horizon, the sky still mostly dark, only with a light shade of fiery red and orange where it touched the Pacific Ocean.

She had spent the last three weeks of the most hectic summer in her life, visiting her parents and sleeping in the large bed of her teenaged years. It had been nice, her family was always the big stabilizer in her life. It was to her mother she ran to when she got her heart broken, which happened too often, considering her predisposition to give herself entirely. And, although that no longer happened, she has grown out of fooling herself too easily, it was still good to know her mother was there to listen. Her father, on the other hand, was the lighthouse of her scientific mind, guiding her to a safe harbor every time she got lost in the entangled theories in her head.

So to be back home was nice, but it was also mostly over. One stop in LA for the weekend, then back up to get her things and (hopefully) finish her PhD, back in Minnesota.

She opened the bedroom window and was greeted with a pleasantly fresh summer breeze. She looked back at her bedside table, where the plane ticket had spent the night under her phone, to make sure she wouldn't forget it in the early morning.

One hour above the clouds and she would reach her destination. The DYAD Institute had made sure Cosima had everything she needed or wanted, for that matter. She only had to ask. It had been weird the last six months, it was like she was some kind of rock star, really. Except no one was particularly interested in knowing if she had any talent or what was Cosima's favorite color, or food, her taste in music, movies. No, they were only interested on her because of who - no,  _what_  she is. A clone.

One of many, she  _was many,_  all the same, except not. She had met some of her  _sisters_  - as Dr. Leekie, the head of the project for some thirty years or so, had called them - they were all different. So different, in fact, that apart from the obvious physical similarities, they had nothing in common. Born from science and the selfish egos of a group of men who thought they could play God - the Virgin Conception - and then thrown to the world, dispersed around the globe and secretly monitored all their lives.

Some had called it the biggest scientific experience ever made. Some had condemned the lack of morality of the whole procedure, not taking into consideration that it was the creation of a different  _breed_. Some had called it an abomination. It often enters Cosima's mind that no one had called them human beings.

Yet, she was. Or at least she felt as human as her adoptive parents, whose only fault reside in the matter of not be able to conceive by natural means and decided to embrace and love as their own a child who had no biological ties to them.

These thoughts always caused a rage inside her. She got the phone, stuffing it in her coat's pocket and ripped the plane ticket, leaving it in two pieces on her bed. Grabbed her bag, which was filed with a few changes of clothes and made her way down the stares. Taking the car keys, leaving a note in its place, informing her parents she decided to drive to LA.

Cosima wanted, needed to believe some of the decisions in her life were still up to her. She was not due to be in LA until the next morning and drive alone for a day, along the 101 and enjoy the beautiful Californian coastline was suddenly very appealing to her.

The last half-year she hardly had time to be alone with her thoughts. She became self-aware in the worst period of her life, when her lungs were failing, drowned in blood and the doctors around her hospital bed looking like scared ants, pacing back and forth, in and out of her antiseptic room. Cosima was there for two months, the first of which surrounded by a plastic cover and people around her hidden from head to toe in sterilized garments. Even her parents, who visited every day and stayed for as long as the doctors would allow it. They were afraid it was a new disease or a new strain of an old one. When the reality is that they had no clue what was wrong with her, all the tests - and they were so many - came back negative. The only thing they knew is that every time they removed the masses that infested her lungs, in three days' time they would reappear, small but growing at an incredible pace. Unnatural, they'd called it.

That had been bad, so bad. She will always have the scars to remind her of those days. It was also then she found out she was infertile. She had never thought about kids until that day, hell most of the time she was not even able to take care of herself, let alone another human being. But it had been hard on her mother, who relieved the day she found out about herself. They've cried in each other's arms for what could never happen. But eventually faded.

"A part of me is happy I have this problem," Her mother had confessed in a whispered voice, still holding Cosima. "If it wasn't so, I wouldn't have you, sweetie." They had laughed then, softly and sadly, but they did. At least until Cosima's lungs started to burn and she had another bloody cough attack.

The doctors had lost all hope, even if they still gave her encouraging words, she could see it in their eyes, no longer covered in plastic shades, that sympathetic look people give when someone is only one step away from the grave. Cosima hated that look, but she couldn't tell them to stop with tubes in her mouth, in her nose. Until one day Dr. Leekie showed up, like a knight in a shining armor with a miraculous treatment, which would reverse her symptoms and restore her health.

Everyone was suspicious at his claims, but Cosima was so far gone that one more try wouldn't make a difference. When it had worked everyone was surprised and relieved. Cosima remembers seeing her mother, still from the hospital bed, recovering, holding the man tight in her arms and calling him a saint, a savior.

However Dr. Leekie was anything but. Other people started to look into his miraculous treatment, some of the most brilliant scientific minds, and eventually found out why he was the only one who could provide a cure: he was the only one who had all the information required.

Then all hell broke loose. Cosima was somewhat aware of what was going on, but her health was still too fragile and she spent most of her days in bed, with her mother never leaving her side, until Cosima insisted she was fine and she could go back to work. Some times Cosima would surf the net, looking for answers she wasn't sure she was prepared to know. But often she would give up when her eyes laid on words like  _unnatural_  or  _aberration_. The world had evolved tremendously, but was definitely not ready for human clones. There was, of course, the precious image of Dr. Leekie cuffed, arms behind his back, being escorted by the cops, from the hospital door to a police cruiser. However, it had all been a show; three days and he was out, awaiting trial, but free to go wherever he wanted, as long as he doesn't leave the country and remains in contact all the time.

Cosima knew one of the bodyguards who shadowed him everywhere was a Federal Agent. Beth, one of the other clones and who was a detective in Toronto, had told her. "Look at him! Dark blue suit, impeccable white shirt, Ray Ban's. Please, I can smell them a mile away!"

In all this mess, it was the only good thing Cosima could see. She felt a connection with the other girls. She was not sure if it was biology, maybe that was it, but she wouldn't know - all her life, biology was never a factor. Now that she thinks about it, maybe it was the reason why she decided to make that her work field, to understand something she never had. But there was definitely something between her and the other clones, perhaps it was the simple, yet weird realization that they were all in the same boat, like fish in a barrel.

Yes, she felt that connection with all her sisters - even the rogue Helena, who when was caught was screaming like a wild animal (if the rumors were to be believed), but it was with Sarah that the connection was stronger. Cosima could easily see herself end up like her if she had not been adopted by a loving family and, instead, had been tossed around from bad to worst foster family, like Sarah was. Sarah, on the other hand, could have easily taken her place, she was smart, even if she tried to hide it or directed her intellect to more... legally questionable activities. So it was with a natural ease Cosima and Sarah ended up being the closest of the group, with Sarah's flamboyant foster brother, Felix, always right behind.

The thought brought a smile to her face. In the middle of all this crap at least Cosima would have the opportunity to spend the entire weekend with them. They could share jokes and weird moments with the intimacy of talking face to face and not through the cracking sound of the video conference.

She had been driving for the better part of the morning, only stopping once for some coffee a few hours ago. In a leisure speed, always under the legal limit, enjoying the morning of the summer's end. But Cosima figured it was time to make another stop, for lunch. The famous route's filled with good places to eat, contrary to most highways, in this one you can pick a diner by chance and not be afraid to end up in a shady place.

She stopped at a place merely for the simple reason that the parking lot was about half filled, so it must be good. Cosima walked in and the little bell over the door announced her arrival. Seating on a booth next to the window, where she could keep an eye on her car, she grabbed the menu and started to scan it for a nice meal.

"What can I get you, dear?" A middle age woman approached her when she was waiting for not even two minutes, even though the place had several costumers. Cosima raised her head to tell the woman she wasn't ready to order yet. And there it was, the recognition. With her face (or another exactly like hers) opening up every news cast it was hard to keep a low profile.

"I don't know... What do you recommend?" She tried to sound at ease with the new fond celebrity, but it was not easy, some part of her knew she would never get used to it.

"Well, our crab cakes are very appreciated by our regulars!" The waitress offered. She was nice enough to try to hide her surprised expression.

"I'll have one of that then... err... Dolly." Cosima said with a awkward smile, reading the name tag on the other woman's uniform.  _Fucking coincidences_. "And a lemon ice tea."

The waitress left and Cosima got the phone out of her pocket and started to type the answer to her father, who was worried about her decision to make such a long drive. It was also a good excuse to keep her head down and make sure other people in the restaurant didn't notice her. It was a nice little trick she had to learn when Cosima was healthy enough to leave the house.

It had been a shock at first. She could not go anywhere unnoticed anymore, she was no longer another anonymous stranger walking down the street or going to a bar. Most people just looked and commented with however they were with, some more rude pointed discreetly a finger. The bravest asked her weird questions, which she usually dismissed with a joke of some sort. "How come you're the only with glasses?"; "Shouldn't your voices sound all the same?"; one of the boldest girls Cosima has ever met, even asked her, one of the first time she was out at night: "Is it me or you have bigger boobs than all the others?". Cosima's answer to the last one was to spend the night with her. That was fun though.

Cosima was always sort of popular among girls, but never like this. She didn't fool herself, was too aware of the intentions behind so many solicitations. Actually, these last few months have probably been the less... active, since she was seventeen. She only hoped things would slow down and this story would fall into forgetfulness, however it was not looking promising.

The service here was efficient though and the same waitress was already placing her order in front of Cosima. That was good; the faster she could get out of here the better. She was starting to feel self-conscious with some of the costumers turning their heads to look at her. Cosima always hated to be the center of attention, she let herself believe that discretion was part of her charm.

One of the patrons looked at her more often and not discreetly at all, since she had to turn her head all the way around, being on the bench by the counter. A blonde, fair skin, curly hair, neatly dressed in a suite. No doubt someone traveling between the two big Californian metropolis on business. Why the woman didn't take the plane for a much faster journey Cosima didn't know and didn't care. At least she had something nice to look at while she ate her meal.

All thoughts of munching down as fast as she could flew off her head and she decided to take her time, at least until the lean blonde finished. But it looked like the stranger was not in a hurry, because after she finished eating she took off her phone and was there for a really long time, typing away, even if she threw a few glances at Cosima. In the past, this kind of attention would be something Cosima found encouraging, but not anymore. Just because a hot woman was constantly staring at her it didn't mean she was interested, it probably just meant that Cosima's more than familiar face drove people to stare.

Cosima finished eating and was all out of excuses to stay. She even ordered the apple pie (Dolly guaranteed it was their best desert) and figured it was better to be on her way, if she was to arrive in LA before midnight. So with that in mind she got up and walked to the counter.

"Excuse me, I would like to pay." She said to the woman who served her lunch.

"Oh, you could have just asked for the check, dear." Dolly said, but was already placing the bill in front of the dreadlocked girl.

"It's fine, any excuse to stretch my legs before getting back on the road." Cosima replied, taking her wallet from her pocket.

"Hmm… Excuse me." A voice with a French inflection came from behind her.

Cosima turned to face the woman who had been staring at her during lunch and waited for an explanation for the interruption. But none came and she was starting to get upset, no matter how gorgeous the woman was, there was no excuse to get near her and then provide no reason. Especially when Cosima was really willing to accept anything at all, she just wanted to hear the goddess looking French speak again. "Yes, I'm one of them. You can stop staring so much…"

"Non… That's not what…" The blonde started, but Cosima stopped her with a movement of her hands.

"Tell you what… What if we take a selfie, yeah? It will last longer and at least we both get keep a souvenir out of this." Cosima said with a toothy grin. This was actually a very good idea and she was already looking for her phone in her pocket. "I'll take with mine and then send it to you, how does that sound?" No too creepy she hoped.

The other woman laughed a little. "I think you'll need this, then!" She raised her hand where she was holding Cosima's phone. "It dropped from your pocket when you took out your wallet. I just wanted to give it to you." She explained.

"Oh, shit!" It was only then Cosima realized she was staring at the taller woman's face the entire time and never noticed she was actually holding the phone, waiting for the clone to take it. "Yeah, just like me losing stuff…" She said awkwardly, her smile changing into something much less self-assured.

"It's okay, I bet you have plenty of women asking for a photo." There was a smile on the strangers face and Cosima was not sure if she was being honest or just joking a little.

"Yep… Can't keep them away…" Cosima decided to take it lightly. And kept looking at the blonde, who was raising her hand again to show the phone she was still holding. "Oh, right…" Cosima took the phone and turned her attention to the waitress, who was watching the whole thing with a gentle smile on her face.

Cosima was trying to be smooth, she really was. Damn, she was so good at this! Did she lose it in the months she was trapped in a bed? No, that couldn't be it, she had been out after that and everything went fine. But not now, with what was possibly one of the hottest women she ever met right behind her, Cosima was making a fool of herself, with the pretentious comments and…dropping all the change she had on her wallet.  _Really?!_

The stranger chuckled a little, but was fast to lower herself to help Cosima, who was picking the coins off the floor. "No, it's really fine…really…you don't have to!"

"You aren't very good at this coordination thing, are you?" The other woman was handing her the few coins she was able to get.

"That's not very nice… What if I really had a problem?" Cosima was not going to let this impossible gorgeous woman make her the butt of the joke, so she decided to tease back.

"But you don't… Which makes that the weakest comeback ever recorded in history…" And she winked her doe-eye.

Cosima was having a hard time thinking straight, she was not sure, but it seemed like the French woman was flirting back and there was no way she was gonna leave it like that. She thought of the best answer and was about to say it out loud, but before she could say the first word the other woman's phone rang and she excused herself and was out the door with the phone attached to her right ear.

"You know what Dolly?" Cosima said to the waitress and finally paying her bill. "I hate this damn things! They always ring in the most inappropriate of the moments." And stuffed her phone in her pocket.

Cosima left the diner and walked to her car. The French beauty was next to a car, Cosima considered safe to assume it was hers, a big black probably German thing, still talking on the phone, pacing back and forth, with a cigarette between her fingers. Cosima entered her car and starting it with a deep sigh. One her way out of the parking lot she passed by the blonde and waved, she waved back, with what seemed like to Cosima, a surprised yet pleased smile.


	2. Chapter 2

Cosima reached the hotel she would be staying for the next two nights just shy of midnight and was planning on going straight to her room after checking in. But as soon as she was done with the clerk, she felt small arms going around her waist. Before she turned Cosima already knew to whom those little arms belonged to.

"Auntie Cosima." Kira's innocent passion over Cosima was something the clone could still not understand. She was never good with kids, never really dealt with them in her life, but she was glad to find out she had on the little girl someone who shared her interest in science. Since they met, in the awkward first reunion of all the clones who reside in North America, Cosima was the one the little girl chose to get attached to and when Cosima told Kira what she did the girl immediately darted questions. So, even if Sarah is as a stranger to science as all of the other clones, Kira seemed to take an interest in it, like her...  _Aunt_.

After turning, Cosima lowered herself so she could properly return the hug. "Hey, monkey... Missed me?" Cosima said against the little girl's wavy hair, which looked so much like her mother's, like hers, really, if she hadn't got the dreads.

"No!" The girl said shaking her head, but not letting go of Cosima, whose answer was to chuckle softly.

"We were expecting you much sooner, geek! What happened?" Sarah, who was standing behind her daughter, asked.

"Decided to make a little detour, it's all." Cosima said, letting go of the small frame glued to hers.

They started to walk to the table where the remain of their strange group was, with Cosima rolling her bag next to her. "Well, Dr. Leekie's not happy!" Sarah said with a smirk.

"Dr. Leekie can go f... " Cosima stopped in her tracks realizing Kira was right next to them. "Kiss my butt!" She said instead with a wink to Kira, who was looking at both clones with those kind of eyes that don't miss a beat.

"Welcome to the festivities, Cos..." Felix greeted when they reached the table.

"So let me see if I got this right?" Cosima said looking at Sarah. "You brought Kira  _and_  Fee? And you said Dr. Leekie's not happy with  _me_?"

Sarah took her seat and Kira was fast to get to her lap, leaving the chair she was probably seating on earlier free for Cosima. "Kira really wanted to come and see all of us together and you know how she is when she gets something in her head..."

"Jeez... I wonder from whom she got that from... " Cosima said, raising slightly her hand to get the attention of the waiter from the hotel's bar." And Felix?"

"Oi! There's no way I would leave my little sis go to a party without me..." The only male at the table informed Cosima.

"Really Felix, this is hardly a party..." Alison said. It always stuck as something very weird that she and Alison shared basically the same genetic identity. Alison with her always impeccable posture and correct pronunciation, she's always just so freaking stiff...

"Ali, you should think of this as your debutante ball, since you never had one." Sarah was not willing to help the nervous clone.

Alison ignored the comment and instead turned her attention to Cosima, who was ordering her drink from the waiter. "Cosima, you really took your time. Being the one who was the closest, shouldn't you be the first here!"

"Yeah, I'm not very good with timetables..." Alison didn't seem satisfied with the answer so Cosima elaborated. "I actually drove here."

"You drove all the way from San Francisco?" Beth, the calmer and most quiet from their weird group asked. "Isn't that a very long ride? Didn't you get the plane ticket like all of us?"

"I did, but decided not to use it. They don't need us until tomorrow, so..." The dreadlocked clone said. "I kind of miss being in the world alone, sort of..." Cosima didn't know how to explain the urge she felt early that morning, so instead she decided to describe her journey, not forgetting to mention the French beauty she crossed paths with.

"And you know... The freaking name of the waitress... Dolly." She said laughing with pleasure, but she got no reaction from the table. "Really, you guys?"

"Yo... What are you on about, geek?" Felix was the one who expressed the sentiment around the table.

"I think she lost it again..." Sarah helped.

"Like, Dolly Dolly... Nothing, like seriously, did you live under a rock all your lives or something..." But Cosima was not getting any reaction of the table. "The fu... Freaking sheep, as in Dolly the sheep, the  _cloned_  Dolly the sheep!"

It was not until then that there were laughs around the table, when everyone finally got it. Cosima shrugged, _damn that took some explaining_.

It was getting late, well later and Cosima noticed Kira already half asleep in her mother's lap. "Right, I'm calling the night. I'm feeling pretty tired."

"That will teach you not to make such a long drive next time." Alison censored.

"Is anyone coming?"

"Yeah, I should go too, Kira's almost sleeping." Sarah said starting to get up, which made the small girl in her lap groan something imperceptible.

"If you want to stay I can take her. She can stay with me." Cosima said not giving time for Sarah to protest. "C'mon you're sharing a room with Fee, right? You can't keep them both, it's not fair." She laughed.

"If I didn't know better I would think you're putting your moves on me..." Felix offered.

"You wish..." Cosima joked, taking the little girl in her arms.

"Hey, I know I'm not a French hottie, but there's no need to be rude..."

Cosima started to walk in the direction of the elevators, with her left hand rolling her bag along the neatly polished floor and holding Kira in her right side, who had her legs wrapped around the clone's waist. She pressed the button to call the elevator and waited patiently for it to reach the lobby. The door opened with a ping and Cosima entered the fairly large space, but the wheels of her luggage got stuck in the rail of the lift's door.

Before she had time to panic there were elegant hands helping her push the big bag inside and a pair of long legs followed right before the doors slid close. Cosima raised her head to see who was responsible for her to not get trapped between doors and saw the same doe eyes that had been hunting her since lunch.

The woman was looking at her with a gentle smile. "Floor?"

For a heart beat Cosima didn't understand exactly what was going on. "Oh... Seventeenth..."

The blonde pressed the button with the 17 and the one with the 34, the same floor Cosima knew Dr. Leekie was staying. DYAD might be very generous, but suites are not reserved for subjects, they were staying in singles or doubles, at least they had that choice. Cosima had chosen a double, not because she needed it, she just liked the idea they would spend a little more on her account. After all this was a very good hotel, the upgrade must send them back a few more hundred.  _Baby steps_...

The stranger was looking at her, like she was back at the diner and Cosima was not sure what to make of it. "I really think we should've taken that picture..." She said in a low voice, in part not to disturb Kira, who was really starting to feel heavy on her arms and on the other hand because she was not sure if she wanted the other woman to hear.

The French snorted a little but made no comment. "You seemed to have more than you can handle. Do you need any help?"

"Oh... No, no... She's light as a feather." But Cosima had to readjust the little girl on her side because she was sliding down. The blonde's laughter increased. "Okay... Maybe not as a feather, more as a... Monkey, yes!"

"Bien, if you don't mind you carry the monkey and I'll help with the luggage... " She offered again, with a smile that almost made Cosima lose the strength in her knees.

Cosima tried to regain herself, remembering the little girl on her lap and how bad Sarah would get with her if she fell with her daughter in her arms. "Okay, I can really use the help." She conceded. "I don't know what I was thinking!"

"It's okay. We all make poor decisions at one or another point in our lives." The taller woman grabbed her luggage when they reached the 17th floor and crossed the door, waiting for Cosima next to it.

Cosima took the lead and the other woman followed close behind. The clone reached the door for her room and was faced with a dilemma. When she realized she no longer had to hold her bag Cosima took Kira in both arms and now to take the card key off the back pocket of her jeans it would require some very hard exercises. As all of this was crossing her mind, Cosima was staring blankly at the door.

"It's everything alright? Did you forget something?" Cosima heard in French accent behind her.

"No its just the key..." Cosima turned her head to look at the tall woman with an apologetic grin. "It's in my back pocket."

Before she had time to register what was happening Cosima felt a hand go to her back right pocket and now she was very aware of the girl in her arms so she wouldn't lose herself in the feeling of the other woman's hand pretty much groping her a... "In the other pocket." She remind herself out loud.

"Oh, sorry... You're right-handed so I just assumed..." And then there was the hand giving the same treatment to her other side, but this time was much faster, since the French easily found the key. Cosima was not sure if should feel relief or disappointed. "How did you plan to do all this alone?" The door was opening in front of Cosima.

"I... I didn't, really..." Cosima stuttered, entering the room and then seeing the lights go on.

There's was another laughter coming from inside the bed area. "Where do you want this?"

Cosima laid Kira on one of the beds. "Just leave it wherever..." She said stretching her back. "Thank you!"

"Oh, it's okay... No problem!" In the nice lit room Cosima could see the woman a little better.

She was wearing the same suit, but Cosima didn't remember her being so flushed. Probably result of the  _forced_  contact. She grinned, her tongue poking between her teeth, even if Cosima was fighting hard to keep it in place. "No... No... I definitely own you!" Cosima gave a few steps in the direction of the other woman, but kept an acceptable distance. "I should like, pay for a drink or something... Are you staying here?"

"I am, but..."

"No, no... I insist..." The clone cut her off. "I have a thing tomorrow, but I'm planning on ditching it as soon as possible, so if you're free..."

The other woman looked at the little girl sound asleep in the bed. "We'll see..."

Well, that was not much, but it was more than Cosima was expecting that morning. "Okay... Oh... Shit, what's your name?"

"I'm Delphine... " The answer came after a few heart beats.

"Cosima..." The geeky one extended her hand after adjusting her glasses. "I can honesty say that's very nice to meet you." They shook hands. "Don't you think it's weird you touched my ass before you even know my name?"

"I already knew your name..." Delphine said a little awkwardly, but she was smiling.

"Right... I keep forgetting I'm kinda famous..." Cosima's chuckled. "Hey... You touched a celebrity's ass..."

Delphine's lower lip got stuck between her teeth and Cosima was really sorry Kira was here, otherwise she might just try her luck, but then again if it wasn't for the little girl, Delphine would never had to come to her room. So she settled for what she had just now...  _For now_.

"I've... I've got to go..." The French was already walking to the door, her face still flushed, constantly nibbling her lip.

"Yeah... Yeah... Of course, it's kinda late..."

"Ciao..." Delphine opened the door and left.

Cosima had to hold the will to throw herself on the bed, but she didn't want to wake up Kira. Instead she moved to remove the little girl's shoes and get her ready to bed.

But her mind was not there, it left to trail after the gorgeous blonde.


	3. Chapter 3

Cosima woke up to the sound of a children's voice calling her name and jumping up and down on her bed. It was the strangest feeling, one that Cosima didn't think it could possibly bring so much joy to the beginning of an early morning, still she groaned and moved the bed sheets up to her head, hiding herself entirely under the covers, more to tease the little girl than for the fact that she wanted to spend a little more time in the comfort it provided. But Kira wasn't having it and soon her little hands were pushing the covers and discovering the brunette dreadlocks.

The clone folded after a couple more minutes of pushing and pulling the sheets. She showered while Kira kept herself entertained flipping channels in the TV. They were ready to leave and meet the rest of the group for breakfast in twenty minutes.

They were in the elevator going down when Kira surprised her by asking. "Who was the tall girl from last night?"

"I thought you were sleeping..." Cosima said, faking a stern face.

"Nah... I just like being carried!" She said, opening a cunning smile. It reminded Cosima so much of her mother. No matter how long they've spend apart, there's no doubt the little girl picked on Sarah's charm.

"If you were awake you could have said something! Didn't you notice how hard it was for me to... "

"I don't know why you're complaining." Kira interrupted. "You sounded like you were having a good time."

Cosima looked down at the girl in disbelief. "You're too smart for your own good!" Was all the response she could think of.

"I know, mummy says so too... " Kira said with a proud smile on her face.

As soon as they reached the table in the breakfast room, Kira thought it was a good idea to announce. "Auntie Cosima has a girlfriend!"

The tattooed clone turned a very dark shade of red, noting the announcement was heard not only by everyone at their table, but also by anyone who was in the close proximity. "No, I don't!" She scolded.

"Oi, Cos! My daughter is not a babe's magnet, got it!" Sarah said frowning her brows, but there was a hint of a smile dancing on her lips.

Cosima sat and decided to play it cool. "Hey... When life gives you lemons..."

"Seriously Cosima, is everything an excuse to get some?" Felix said putting a generous amount of butter in a croissant. "The French at the diner, the new girlfriend from wherever..."

"They're the same, actually." Cosima said getting up to get something to eat and leaving the table without an explanation. When she returned, Cosima had a smile on her lips, knowing fully well that Felix was dying to know more. Still, she sat back on the chair and started to eat without another word.

"Cosima will you quit with the suspense. Look at poor Felix!" Beth said, pointing her finger at the young man, who had stopped eating and kept looking at her. "This can't be good for his skin..."

The table broke in laughter. "Really... Well, everyone is playing it cool, but all of you freaks want to know it as much as I do!" Felix argued.

"I don't!" Alison said putting down the impeccably covered in butter whole grain bread and reaching for the glass of milk. "Honestly I don't care what Cosima is doing with whom."

"Right, because we all know the suburban life doesn't encourage that sort of thing." Said Sarah, seating back down after getting all the food Kira demanded. "So Cos, care to explain..."

"There's really nothing to tell." Cosima decided to indulge the curiosity of the group. "Just apparently the French woman from the diner is staying here. And helped me last night when she noticed I was in trouble."

"Did you get her name? Or too much of a coward?" Felix was trying to extract as much information as he could.

"Yeah... Not only did I got her name - Delphine, by the way - I also got sort of a date... Well not date, more like coffee planed... If I manage to slip between the cracks, that is..."

"Maybe you should take things slow Cosima." Beth always with her reserved caution. "You don't even know if she's into that... Area..."

"Oh, you're right. But she totally felt my ass last night... So..." Cosima said matter of factually.

"And that happened in front of my daughter..." Sarah almost screamed and for some reason got up instantly. Kira, on the other hand, was smiling sheepishly next to her aggravated mother.

"Wow, wow..." Cosima was waving her hands vigorously, in an attempt to soothe Sarah's temper. "She just took the keys out of my pocket, that's all... I might have embellish it a little bit, okay?"

Sarah sat back down, considerably calmer. "Well, good luck with that. I heard Dr. Leekie saying he wanted you to do a check up with one of the doctors today."

"To be sure I'm following all his advice, no doubt!" Cosima said in an ironically manner. "Fucking asshole!" She mumbled to herself.

They were finishing breakfast when said asshole approached the table surrounded by identical faces. "Good morning, everyone!" He said in his imposing voice. Cosima had to give it to the man, even when he was in trouble with the law, Dr. Leekie never lost his composure. "Glad to see everyone is accounted for."

Cosima wasn't sure if that was for her benefit, but she figured it was better to stay quiet. It was not like they were summoned without fair warning. The meeting was planed weeks ahead, they all received the  _invitation_  in the same day. It was supposed to be an introduction of the clones to the world, even if by now anyone who was interested in knowing about them only had to search online. Cosima figured it was an attempt on Dr. Leekie's part to make good with the scientific community. The moment when everything was found out, it had been less than pleasant for the scientist, perhaps now he's just trying to save face, sort of a:  _hey, look what I have done_!

The scientist side of Cosima could understand, it was an incredible achievement, specially considering the resources they had thirty years ago. But the subject side of her was appalled. Until this day Cosima wasn't sure if should be thankful to the man - after all if it wasn't for him, she wouldn't...  _be_  - or if she should scream at him.

She was lost in this thoughts and playing with the bread crumbs that fell to the table, not paying any attention to what everyone was saying, their voices were nothing but background noise.

"I hope that's okay with you Cosima." Her head shoot up at the sound of her name coming from Dr. Leekie's lips.

"What?" She asked looking at the man.

"You're exam... Ummm... After you're done with breakfast." Leekie repeated, but backtracked when he saw the displeased expression on Cosima's face. "Or we can do it a bit later, if now it's not good for you."

"Okay... What about next year, or decade..." She answered stubbornly.

"Cosima, I know you're feeling well now, but that doesn't mean we need to stop worrying about your condition and make sure everything is fine!" He insisted, placing his hand on her shoulder.

The clone moved her arm, releasing herself from his touch. " _We_  don't need to worry about nothing. I do!" She started to get up.

"You can accuse me of a lot of things, but I always had your best interest in mind." The man was grabbing her arm and keeping her in place.

"Bullshit, the only thing you have in mind is indulging your inflated ego!" With one brusque movement she freed her arm. "I understand how embarrassing it would be to have your subject die, like so many others, but that doesn't mean I was your major concern."

"You are being unfair! Think about all the other scientists who worked with me to find you a cure, who had sleepless nights to make sure you would pull through." His voice was raising slightly, but not enough to get the attention of everyone. "Do you think they were doing it for recognition? No one knows who they are, they are an anonymous army that fought hard to keep you alive and you're paying their hard work with unkindness."

"Please, spare me the lecture! I don't know why they did it, but I'm sure it was not for the fuzzy, warm feeling in their hearts." She was not backing down, Cosima had wanted to have this conversation with Dr. Leekie for a long time, now that she had the opportunity, she was going to take it. "Besides, I don't even know them. The poor saps were probably fooled by you as well, thinking they would receive praise for their hard work and you ended up taking all the credit."

"They're not known yet, because until this matter is all clear it would do no good for their careers to be associated with me! I do take care of my team of scientists, like I do take care of you... Of you all!" He finished, his hand motioning to the table where everyone was paying attention to the argument between older and younger scientist.

"Yeah? Well, I feel sorry for them then..." And she turned on her heals, meaning to leave.

"You shouldn't, they will be remembered and their names will be cleaned, unlike mine!" He called after her.

"Oh yeah, poor you..." Cosima said ironically.

He ignored her sarcastic comment. "And you will meet them, some of them are here. In fact, the one who's responsible for your cure insisted on coming, she very much wanted to meet you." He informed her.

"Thanks, but I have enough of doctors for the rest of my life..." This time she really started to walk away, but stopped once again. Not because Dr. Leekie was holding her back, but due to the vision of the French beauty getting closer to where she was. "Delphine..." She said low, more because she liked the sound of the other woman's name rolling out off her tongue than to acknowledge her.

"Cosima, allô!" The blonde greeted her, but the smile on her face was a little thing, barely visible.

"Ah, Dr. Cormier! Just in time." Leekie said, giving two long steps and taking the blonde on his arms, giving her two pecks, one on each cheek of the creamy face. "We were just talking about you."

"You were?" Delphine asked in an unsure voice, her eyes not leaving the dreadlocked clone's face.

"We were?" Cosima was somehow stuck in a stupor, her gaze frozen on the French's. "We were!" She almost screamed when her brain finally restarted to turn its gears and the realization of what the man said hit her. It only took her half a second for the excitement she felt when seeing the other woman transformed into anger. "You knew my name... You knew I was right-handed... Of course you did!" Cosima was talking to herself.

"Oh my god, this is brilliant..." Felix's voice reached her ears. "Well played, geek!" There were some laughs that followed it, but they were discreet. Thankfully.

"Cosima, I... I wanted to tell you, but..." Delphine started, but Cosima was restarting to walk, going to the door. "Hey, hold on!"

The clone was almost pass the door, when she felt a grasp on her arm, this time the hand was much softer, long fingers around her wrist. It sent a pleasant shiver down Cosima's spine but she forced her arm to move and turned. "What,  _Doctor_?"

Delphine twitched her nose at the harsh words, but did not back down. "Let me explain!"

"I don't want your explanations." The shorter woman didn't relent. "You should've told me why you were here! You should've told me last... You know what, never mind, it doesn't matter!"

"Of course it does, and you're right, I should've said something, but Kira was asleep and I knew you would be like this." The blonde was giving her explanation either way and Cosima didn't have the stomach to cut her off. "I didn't want her to wake up."

"You knew I would be like this?" The brunette gave her a bitter smile. "Right, because you know everything about me, inside and out!"

"That's not what I meant and you know it!" Delphine was getting angry, she was not in the mood to take the clone's bad temper.

"Why does it matter what you meant? It's true, right? You know me... You were my doctor, even without me knowing."

"I was, but that doesn't mean that I know everything about you. That's why I..." Delphine breathed deeply, her right hand passing over her impossibly curly hair. "That's why I wanted to come, to meet you in person!"

"Right! So you could satisfy your curiosity!" Cosima said, she wanted to go away, leave the other woman talking alone, but she couldn't. "Well, sorry to disappoint you."

"I can't win this one, can I?" There was a hint of a smile playing on the blonde's lips that Cosima was fighting really hard to ignore.

"No, you really can't!" Finally the clone restarted to walk away.

"Maybe I'll get to win later, when you come for your check up." This time the doctor didn't go after her. "I know you wanted to get away from it, but I expect you to at least take your health in consideration."

"Yeah... I wouldn't count on it!" Cosima shot back before entering the elevator she was waiting for and press the button to her floor. The door was closing but she could still see the smile on the other woman's lips, this time full force.


	4. Chapter 4

Cosima stormed into the room, her heart beating rapidly from the argue and the mixing of feelings Delphine caused in her. She shouldn't, this new, now not so mysterious woman, shouldn't have the ability to cause her such turmoil. Not anymore. Not now that Cosima knew what she was - just another soldier on Dr. Leekie's army of evil.

However, it was still hard to believe that someone like Delphine would be involved in such things. She seemed like a genuinely nice person... But Cosima had to remind herself once again that impressions can be deceiving. She was no longer a high school girl infatuated by the beautiful exotic looking cheerleader, who makes her go watch every football game just to see her... well... bouncing.  _Stupid teenager hormones._ No, she was a goddamn grown up, with real grown up problems. Not only that, she had fucking clone problems, weird clone problems. She couldn't let herself be fooled by good looks and a nice smile.

What was she smiling about, anyway? Does she think this is a joke? Cosima couldn't really understand it, but it was very obvious that the smiling woman caused her heart to drop to her stomach and stay there, beating stupidly fast.

Cosima was laid on the bed for a while, she really didn't care for the time, even if according to the schedule they've been given, there was a lunch party at one. At this point she was not sure she would grace them with her presence. But people were refusing to leave her alone and there was someone knocking on the door. She ignored it. Then again, with the same response from her end.

The next few knocks were joined by a loud voice. "C'mon, Cos. Open up, we know you're in there!" Sarah's unmistakable angry tone.

Cosima got up and opened the door, letting the other clone in, along with her foster brother, but was quickly to return to her previous position on the bed.

"Dr. Leekie said to meet Dr. Cormier - or the hot French blondie, as you know her - in twenty at room 2011." Sarah informed with a grin.

When Cosima didn't say anything, Felix pushed. "Oh, c'mon... You know you want to go! Have another one-on-one with Doctor Cormier..."

"No, I really don't!" Cosima said, still on the bed, looking at the ceiling.

Sarah scoffed. "Don't tell me you aren't even a little bit curious about her. Just to know..."

"No, okay Sarah!" The dreadlocked clone said loud, seating on the bed and looking straight at the other two. "I don't want to know! I don't want her near me!"

"Afraid to fall into temptation?"

"No, Fee, I just don't want, it's that simple..."

"Well I was told to let you know, my mission here is done!" Sarah was already turning around and walking to the door, but before she left she looked at the woman seating still on the bed. "You're being a twat, you know that! After you left Delphine talked a little with us, she's really worried about you... You know, your health!"

"I can live well with her worries!" Cosima threw back, but she wasn't sure they heard her through the already closed door.

Violently throwing herself back to the bed, she shut her eyes. Maybe Sarah was right, she shouldn't be so upset with Delphine because of it. Really, she hardly knew the person, why would she demand absolute honesty from someone like that. And, in a way, the French was right, had she told her last night Cosima would've not be able to contain herself, Kira would've probably woken up scared. If she was actually sleeping, that is.

Either way, Delphine could've told her at the diner when they first met... The clone thought about that moment again. Now, in the light of what she knew, she saw that meeting with different eyes. Was that meeting really a trick of chance, some incredible coincidence the two been at that place at the same time. Or was Delphine there with a purpose, to keep tabs on her. She was always on the phone, texting, Cosima assumed. But, no... C'mon, how could they've known she would make the decision of not using the plane ticket and drive, and how could they possibly predict she would stop at that exact diner, at that exact hour for lunch. No! Cosima could accuse Delphine of a lot of things, but that certainly not.

Or their knowledge of her extends to depths even she doesn't know. So fine... Delphine might not be a monster, Cosima never thought that in the first place, but she was part of something terrible, works with people who like to play with other people's lives. And that's just wrong. Sure, she wasn't there in the beginning - or she was incredibly precocious - but Delphine knew. She knew what was she working for, she told her.

The more Cosima thought about it, the more excuses she uncover to find the blonde innocent of everything, the harder it was for her to get to the next topic, the next accusation. All in all, Felix was right, she wanted to talk with the doctor again, if for nothing else, to know what made her work with the likes of Leekie.

She was starting to finally move away from the bed, when someone was at the door again. Cosima reached for her shoes and put them on, meaning to go to the door, just to send the person away. She had somewhere to be.

The clone opened the door only to be faced with the blonde woman, her hand forming a fist, halfway to the door. She lowered her hand and opened her smile again. "I don't know if you were planning on making a run for it, but..."

"No... No. I was going to meet you." Cosima tried to smile, but the shock she was in prevented her.

Delphine moved the bag she was carrying from her left to her right hand and raised her wrist to look at the watch. "Fifteen minutes later. I thought you were not going, so I... Well, I know where your room is and..."

Cosima noticed a couple passing by the hall and looking hard at her. She opened the door a little more to let the doctor in. "Well, I was never known to keep a gorgeous woman from entering my room..." She winced, not believing she was actually flirting now. However, Delphine turned red and gave her a shy smile, passing by her to enter the bedroom. "But I have to admit, I was very tempted to make an exception in your case." She completed, closing the door.

"Oh... And why is that?" The French asked with a curious expression.

The clone walked a few steps to get closer to her. "I was pretty mad at you."

"Was? That means you're no longer mad?"

"That's yet to be decided." She explained. "Okay, doc. Where do you want me?"

The blonde's eyes traveled the room, lingering a little longer than it was necessary on the bed, Cosima noticed, holding down the stupid giggle she felt raise in her chest. Delphine cleared her throat. "There!" She said, pointing to the couch.

"Okay... Not a big fan of couches, but it will do!" That was the moment Cosima decided that, even if she was going to let the other woman examine her, she would make this as uncomfortable as she could to Delphine. Let's see what does it take to break her. It could be somewhat mean, but, damn, she was in the mood.

It seemed, though, it would take a lot more than that to make it, because all Delphine did was nod, maybe Cosima had to be a little more assertive. She sat, looking up as the other woman got near the couch and opened her bag, taking out of it some gloves, which she took her time putting on her long hands, concentrated in what she was doing, not noticing the extensive examination the clone was giving her.

It was not until she closed the small gap between them and sat on the table in front of the couch, that Delphine gave some attention to the clone, both their eyes now at the same level. "Are you still smoking?" The doctor asked, looking very serious at Cosima.

"No!" The lying answer.

"Right!" It was obvious the blonde was not buying it, but she was polite enough to pretend she was. "I hope I don't have to explain how dangerous it is for you to keep doing that."

There was just a small distance between their faces and Cosima didn't have to stretch her neck too much for her nose to be just inches away from the paler neck. She took a deep sniff. "I don't think you have the moral to tell me that." The brunette said, her face still close to Delphine's, who moved her head a little further, but apparently just so she could get a flashlight from the bag, which was next to her on the table.

"I'm your doctor, I have the moral to tell you what the hell I want, as long as it is on your best interest!" She said, clicking the light on and reaching her left hand to Cosima's cheek. "Open!"

The contact of her skin with the latex was something Cosima grew to hate, it always brought memories of the months she spent in the hospital, but this time was different because the leftovers of warmth that managed to pass over the syntactic material created goosebumps on her neck. Cosima could only hope it went unnoticed by the blonde. Truth was she couldn't tell, as she opened her mouth to the examination she kept her eyes open and was unable to read the expression on Delphine. It was fast, however and soon the blonde was releasing her jaw and giving attention to her bag.

"So, Dr. Cormier, what can you tell me about yourself?" Cosima's question was faced with a cocked brow. "I mean, you know so much about me and... Well, it doesn't feel fair." She explained.

"There's not much to say, really." Delphine produced a stethoscope from her bag. "My life's pretty standard."

The clone twitched her nose. "That can't be exactly true. You're working with clones."

"I was just looking for a job. When I applied to the DYAD I didn't know what I was really applying for."

"But you knew before you accepted, right?" Cosima tried to pry some more.

"The Institute has many areas of interest, when I entered it was not directly to the clones' project." She said, looking at Cosima. Her face not revealing any emotion about her history. "I was about two years there when Aldous called me into his office and asked me if I was interested in something more challenging."

"Challenging!?" Cosima said with an ironic twist to her voice.

"That's how he put it!"

"He should've said more illegal." The clone was trying not to sound too judgmental, but it was proven to be incredibly hard. "What made you take it?"

There's was a different kind of smile in Delphine's lips, one that didn't present the softness Cosima knew, but something a lot more bitter. "You're a scientist too, Cosima. You can understand how enticing something like this can sound."

The brunette was quiet for a while, her head down, staring blankly at the stethoscope forgotten in the doctor's hands. "Sure, but I guess I would draw a line when it comes to something so... I don't know... Hmm... amoral, I guess."

Delphine dropped her head, her right hand going over her hair, in what Cosima could only guess was a reflexed gesture. "You say that because you caught the bitter end of it, I understand. But you can never begin to grasp of how does that sounds to a young mind that's constantly looking for something more." She said this without looking at the clone. "The possibility to make a difference... We all want it, specially when we're young. We want to change the world."

Finally she looked at Cosima. "I'm not proud to admit it, but I never thought about... You... The clones... I guess that's part of why I insisted in coming, I wanted to see more than numbers."

"Numbers?!"

Delphine nodded. "Tag numbers. Aldous said it was better that way, create some distance from the subjects. I never knew your name until he agreed to let me come."

"Right... Numbers..." Cosima said flatly. "And what did appear in my file? Subject number what?" Her words where harsh, she knew, but Cosima couldn't just stand there and hear the other woman talk like she was some...  _Thing_.

Delphine noticed the change in the clone's demeanor, but complied. "324b21, that's your tag number." As soon as the blonde said these words, Cosima started to get up, she needed to put some distance between her and Delphine. However, the other woman held her wrist, keeping her in place. "You asked, Cosima. I'm just trying to be honest with you. I think the last thing you need is for everyone to keep lying to you."

"You don't know what I need!" Cosima said, releasing her wrist with a sudden movement, but sat back down.

There was a hint of a pleading look in Delphine's eyes that Cosima could not ignore. "l'm telling you because I believed you could understand. I would never tell all this to the others, but you... I really thought you would..."

"I would what?" Cosima asked when the doctor stopped mid-sentece. "I would forgive you for the mistakes you made in the name of science? Absolve you from your sins?

"I don't do that, I don't pretend to play God. You're confusing me with Leekie." She was talking too loud, upset with the woman in front of her, as well as with herself. This is not what she wanted, it was not her plan to crucify the doctor. She took a deep, shaky breath. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to..."

"No, no... You're right!" Delphine's thumb started absently to massage Cosima's wrist, who didn't realize until then that the blonde was again holding her. Maybe Delphine didn't notice either, maybe it felt natural to her, like it did to Cosima. "Remember yesterday, when I've told you we all make mistakes. I guess that's mine and perhaps I thought that if I could make you understand why I did what I did... Hmm... I don't know."

"That's why you came, isn't it? So you could sleep better at night." The sound of Cosima's voice was still bitter, but, for some reason, she couldn't bring herself to get away from the other woman's grasp, it just felt too damn good.

"I didn't think of it that way, but now... Maybe." It was Delphine who eventually removed her hand from the clone's wrist. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to use you like that. It was..."

"No, never mind!" Cosima cut her off. "I guess I understand... I mean, not the whole clone project thing, I still believe I would never be a part of it. But the looking for understanding... Yeah, that I can get it.

"Like you said, we've all made mistakes. I've made mine." She smiled a little. "And I don't mean just carrying more than I can handle."

Delphine laughed softly. "Like smoke pot after you almost died from a lung condition?"

Cosima reclined in the couch, relaxing a little. "See... Here we were having such a pleasant conversation and you start talking stuff like that, calling me a liar!"

"You were lying, I found traces of THC in your last analysis and you know that for it to happen it had to be very recent."

"I resent your implications! Second hand smoking explains everything. Fee is a really pothead..."

The French didn't answer to that, but her laugh increased. "Okay... Take off your shirt!" She said remembering the stethoscope in her hand and raising it to the eyes' level.

"Man, just like that? Without any foreplay... I don't know." Cosima remained with her back resting on the sofa, crossing her arms over her chest. "Usually takes a good meal for it. Or, if I'm really into the person, at least a drink." This was more like it, more into Cosima's comfort zone. She hated argues, always have, she hated feel so rattled, so disconnected with her brain.

Delphine's face became a lovely shade of red - really, all Cosima wanted in the first place. However, the doctor didn't disarm. "Will a drink latter do the work, in my case? Or is more like a meal?"

Cosima really didn't expect this, she was not counting on Delphine go along with her. But she wouldn't back down, instead she leaned forward, a daring expression in her face and a quirky smirk in her lips. "Well, doctor, if you promise to be good, I think I might settle for just a drink." She took her shirt off in one swift movement.

The clone noticed Delphine swallow a lump in her throat, but her eyes were becoming dangerously darker, the clear golden brown being slowly replaced. "What if I promise to be bad?" She said it lightly, like it was nothing too important.

"I don't think you're the bad type." Cosima called her bluff.

The only response the blonde gave her was a humming, but her eyes didn't leave the clone's. So it was with surprise that Cosima felt the cold of the stethoscope against her upper chest. Cosima's breath picked up. Delphine laughed softly.

There was a moment of silence, while Delphine listen to her breathing. Cosima didn't need directions about taking deep breaths, more than used to this annoying routine. Except this time there was nothing routine about it, she could feel her heart racing and she knew Delphine could hear it. Damn, it was beating so fast that Delphine probably didn't even need the stethoscope to hear it; it certainly felt like a crazy loud drum to the clone's ears. The doctor didn't say a word about it, but Cosima could see her smiling, even if the French kept her head down.

 _Fuck, this just won't do_ , the brunette thought. "So, Delphine, when you say bad... What exactly do you mean?"

The blonde curls shoot up, an alarmed look in her eyes. It was obvious the question caught her off-guard. Delphine opened her mouth, but no sound came before she closed it again, her eyes locked with Cosima's, nervously nipping her lower lip.

 _So that's it, hmm, she talks a big game, but when it comes to see it through..._  There was a sense of pride growing in Cosima's chest with the accomplishment, it was childish, she was full aware of it, but she didn't give a rat ass about it. Yeah, she still had it!

"We're done!" Delphine eventually found her voice. "You can put your shirt back on."

Cosima didn't. "So how do I fare, good doctor?"

"Good... Hmm... You're very... Very healthy." Delphine mumbled.

"So nice to hear it... so relieved..." She leaned again on the couch.

"You won't be, if you stay without your shirt." The doctor said, her eyes clearly avoiding Cosima's chest.

"It's freaking hot, do you think I'll catch a cold in this weather?" Cosima laughed a little.

"Oui... Errr... Hot... Right... Okay." Delphine got up suddenly, finally finding something to do, putting everything back in her bag. "I've got... To go!" The last two words said like it was a realization, moving fast to the door.

When Cosima noticed the very fast pace in which the blonde was reaching the door, she got up as well, putting back her shirt, catching Delphine before she was out the door. "Delphine!" She called, the door already open and one of Delphine's feet outside. The French turned. "You still have your gloves on." Cosima said, laughing.

"So? Have you seen yourself?" She restarted to walk, leaving Cosima by the door.

The clone looked down at herself and saw that her shirt was front to back. "Shit!" She got back in the room already losing her shirt.


	5. Chapter 5

It was not until it was time for lunch that Cosima decided to leave her room, it's not that she didn't want to be with the others, she was just feeling too worked up to have a decent conversation. Besides, there would be plenty of time for that during the afternoon, since the DYAD generously allowed them to have it free.

Cosima entered the hotel's restaurant and her eyes scanned the big room, looking for the table where the other clones were, but the first table her eyes stubbornly set upon was the one occupied with Leekie and other people, who Cosima could only guess were scientists for the DYAD. However, all of them escaped her view, since her eyes could only gaze at the tall blonde seating next to Leekie. Delphine was wearing the same clothes she had when she was in Cosima's room, but her hair was casually tied behind her head, giving the clone a better perspective of her high cheekbones and clear eyes. Even from across the room, they seemed to sparkle when they laid on Cosima, who found herself swallow a lump in her throat when Delphine discreetly winked at her.

"Alright Cos, keep it together." She murmured to herself, starting to cross the room to meet the rest of the group.

Once she reached the table, she took the only available seat and was greeted enthusiastically by everyone except Sarah, who seemed to be a little upset about what happened earlier. She didn't like being promptly dismissed and Cosima was less than nice to her.

"I'm sorry about this morning, Sarah. I could have been a little nicer." Cosima finally said, after contemplating for some time if she should address the issue.

"Yeah, you could..." The rougher clone answered, still with an unfriendly expression.

"What if I pay you a drink?" Cosima's hand was already reaching for the wine bottle settled on top of the table.

"Drinks' already paid for..." Sarah raised the glass in her hand and took a generous gulp, twitching her nose almost immediately. "And this... I'm not a wine type of gal..."

"Well, but it's free." Alison pointed out. "Let's not be ungrateful, Sarah."

"Yes. And we all know how much Ali likes her drinks..." Felix offered.

"And what's that supposed to mean?" There it was, the high pitched voice Alison always had when someone said something she didn't particularly like.

"Hey Ali..." Beth called her attention, not doubt in an attempt to pacify the mood installed on the table. "Where's Donnie?"

"He stayed home with the kids." The soccer mom answered. "There's no way I was going bring them to this circus..." Then she stopped and looked at Kira, impatiently waiting for the food to be served, between her mother and Felix. "Sorry, I... I didn't mean like it was wrong, just..."

Sarah snorted. "It's okay... I wouldn't bring her either if it was up to me."

At this Kira stopped playing with the fancy silverware. "I'm right here, you know..." She complained. "Besides, if it wasn't up to me Auntie Cosima wouldn't have gotten a girlfriend." The youngest at the table add with a wide grin, staring at the dreadlocked clone.

"I didn't..." Cosima started, but then puffed out, her fingers raising her glasses so she could rub the bridge of her nose. "Delphine it's not..." Another pause. "You know what? I just don't get that woman!"

Sarah turned an interested gaze her way. "What are you talking about? I thought you didn't want nothing to do with her..."

"I didn't... I still don't. But we were talking earlier and... I don't know... "

"What do you mean: you talked earlier? When was this?" The question came from Alison. But between her and Felix, Cosima really didn't know who liked a little gossip the most.

"During my examination..." Cosima was getting ready to tell them what happened, but was promptly interrupted.

"So you did go to the..." The only male at the table asked, with sparkling eyes.

"No. Fee." Cosima said, stressing the two words and raising her hand for him to stop cutting her off. "If you let me finish I'll give you every little detail."

Felix let out a weird, loud squeak and was about to say something, but Cosima stopped him. "Pah, pah, pah..." With a finger to her lips, to remember him to stay quiet. Felix zipped his own mouth. "Okay..." Side glance at the young man's way. "When I was getting ready to meet her, she was already at my door, thinking I was going to bail..."

"Wooo... A house call, she must have been really worried." He couldn't resist editing.

"Yeah, with your health..." Sarah joined in, with a laugh.

"Alright, that's it... I'm not going to tell you anything else." Cosima said, pouting.

"C'mon Cos, we're just playing." Felix pushed.

"It's okay... I'm good!" Alison said. "I really don't think we need to hear more of what happened. I think we can figure out what happened next."

"Not _that!_ "

"What then?" Sarah wanted to know.

"I said I wasn't going to tell you more, didn't I?" And she crossed her arms over her chest, enjoying the expression on the two foster siblings' faces.

Lunch passed by smoothly, even if now and then Cosima had to brush off a few more questions of the insistent pair. However, all that flew out of their heads when Dr. Leekie started his speech, in what Cosima awkwardly compared to the presentation of a festivities program. During the afternoon there would be a few discussion panels, which the clones were warned it was not of mandatory presence to them and it was during the dinner party that official introductions to the press were to be made.

The scientist in Cosima would've loved to be present at some of these discussions, the topics were just her thing, but she fast dismissed the idea. If she was to be there, it wouldn't be as a scientist - no, this time she would always be the project. Although Leekie assured her she was welcomed to be there as someone who was interested in the field, Cosima was more than aware that wouldn't be the case. So it was with mixed feelings about her unusual situation that she decided to spent the afternoon by the hotel's pool with the other clones.

It was a typical Californian afternoon, sun high, hot air and even then she resisted the temptation of throw herself in the water. Cosima had a lot of reading behind and she was determined to be absolutely prepared when it was time to get back to school. A big book in hand and sipping non-alcoholic cocktails, that's how she planed to spend her sunny afternoon by the pool, under the shadow of the umbrella.

"Crap!" She screamed, when water that felt cold against her warmed by the sun body drip to her stomach. "What the hell, Sarah?" Cosima said, her eyes leaving the book she has been devouring for the last two hours and setting on the other clone, who was casually twisting her wet hair on top of her.

"C'mon geek, you need to relax." Sarah pointed out, with a smirk. "A swim in the pool will do you well, specially when the doctor has gotten you all hot."

Cosima put her book down and looked thoughtfully at the other woman." No, Sarah. Delphine and I are just..."

"Dying to get into each other's pants..." Sarah completed, making Cosima winced at her choice of words. "Seriously, I saw the way she was looking at you at lunch. It's like..."

"Nothing! Okay Sarah, it's like nothing." Cosima said, straighten up on the beach chair she was. "Even if that was true, I'm not even going to begin to contemplate how many levels of a mindfuck that is...

"Not only because of the all the..." Cosima's hands flouting around her wobbling head. "You know, scientific part of it. But she's in freaking France all the time and..."

"Wow, wow..." Sarah stopped her. "You see, when I say sex you hear relation and that's just so not what I meant. You can have a little... Fun! If she's game." Cosima remained quiet. "Oh my god... You like her,  _like_  her..."

"Oh my god, I can't believe we are back in the seventh grade..." Cosima responded with a mocking tone, getting up.

"Whatever..." Sarah said, dismissively, not noticing Cosima's casual approach to her. "Dr. Cormier does it for you, huh? All that geek talk... It turns you on..." Cosima was moving around her as she talked, just humming naturally. "Sure, you liked the way she looks, right? But then... You get to know her and  _bam_ , geeky Cosima meets geeky Delphine and you're a goner..."

When it happen, Sarah was so entertained in what she thought was disassembling Cosima's mind, that she never suspected what the tattooed clone had reserved for her. The only time the punk clone noticed what was happening to her, her lungs were already filed up with water and the noise of the world came to her muffled from the water in her ears.

Sarah resurfaced coughing water. "Hey... That's really stupid what you did!" But she had a wide smile on her lips.

"Oh god! So sorry... " Cosima said, her characteristic grin pushing at the corner of her lip.

"Get her, Kira!" Sarah suddenly shout.

It was Cosima's turn to not know what happened when she was pushed to the pool, not realizing in all her glory the little girl was moving behind her.

Cosima's book was abandoned the rest of the afternoon, while its owner spent her time enjoying the company of the people she was starting to gradually call family. Maybe it wasn't so bad, being able to share her thoughts, however errant they were, with a group of people who could understand her better than anyone ever could. Sure, she had her own family, the mother and father she grew up with, even one or two cousins Cosima was more connected to. But nothing like this, they understood each other in levels beyond anything she ever knew. This was biological, a connection Cosima couldn't deny it existed effortlessly.

Or maybe it was not biological at all, maybe it was just the fact that their personalities matched, that no matter what, they would always get along, that they complemented each other. For whatever reason, they certainly made for a very strange group of friends. And if nothing else, they were definitely that, the dreadlocked clone didn't know why, but she had the feeling she could trust them with her life. It was just weird for Cosima to think how they would've never met if it wasn't for the very  _small_  issue that they were clones.

Kira was again in her bedroom, this time she had the company of her mother, though, while Cosima was rummaging her bag for her clothes, still only a towel wrapped around her body. Her skin feeling nicely fresh from the shower after an entire afternoon baking in the sun, her muscles pleasantly tired from the small exercise required to play with a ball in the water.

"C'mon geek, we're going to be late. And you know how Dr. Leekie hates tardiness." Sarah said, smirking and winking at her daughter.

"I know, I know... Just hold on." Cosima's hands no longer going over her clothes to motion for the other clone to calm down. "I can't believe I brought nothing decent." She commented under her breath, getting back to the pile of clothes.

"Well, it's not like we haven't been warned the dinner was going to be formal."

"Hm-mh... Anyone that looks at you would think otherwise." Cosima joked, giving Sarah's choice of ware a glance. The punk had not been interested in giving her usual clothes a night's rest, she was in leather pants and a ripped shirt, her feet covered in heavy army boots.

"I'm gonna let Ali be the one who has the perfect dress for this occasion. I'm generous, don't want to take that away from her." Sarah said, causing the little girl, who was actually very properly dressed, to have a fit of giggles.

"I think Auntie Cosima just wants to look nice for her girlfriend." Kira's laugh increased and was joined by her mother's.

"You know, Monkey, I think you're right!"

"She's not my... Forget it!" Cosima gave up, nothing she could say would make them stop.

Cosima ended up wearing the colorful dress she brought with the intention of using for the occasion, but she was not fully convinced it was the right one, although she really had no better choice. And they were already almost half an hour late, not that Sarah was going to complain about that, but Kira was overly excited about the big, fancy party and couldn't wait any longer. That didn't prevent Cosima to give herself a glance at the elevator's mirror on their way down.

"I never thought you could be so vain." Sarah commented with a snort when she caught the other clone eyeing herself.

Cosima shrugged and said nothing, but noticed the other two elbowing each other and giggling at the corner of her eye. She knew she was acting silly, like a teenager with a stupid crush, but she couldn't help herself. She was nervous about seeing Delphine again. Cosima had hoped she would be able to see the French doctor during the afternoon, but it never happened. Not that she was expecting it, because Delphine was most likely trapped in one of the many discuss panels the entire time. Hoped yes, but not expecting. It was like one of those situations one finds themselves wanting to believe so much in something that for some magical arts it would make it so.

But Cosima was not a magician, she never really believed in magic, to begin with. She never really believe a bunch of anything. This is, of course, until she, along with Kira and Sarah, arrived at the big conference room, turned into dinner hall, and her eyes immediately set on a particular tall, blonde and apparently French woman. That was the moment Cosima started to believe in heaven and angels and all that crap...

Across the room, Delphine's eyes found her, like she sensed the clone's arrival, and a wide smile opened up on her lips. With a grace Cosima never thought possible someone possess, the doctor walked in her direction, the tight, black dress she was wearing moving with her, the light curves of Delphine's body dancing with every step. Discovered, long, ivory legs arriving to a halt, when the doctor was in front of the gawking young woman.

"Allô, Cosima. How are you since this morning?" Delphine greeted.

And Cosima was trying, she really was, but no sound came out of her mouth. She was trying so hard, the same way she was forcing her eyes to stop wonder and just pick a feature to focus on, but it was no good. Her sight travelled without her permission, now staring at the pink lips, only to journey south to the elegant neck. Cosima cleared her throat, making sure her gaze didn't dare go even more southern or she would be lost for sure.

Another attempt at speaking. Same result.

"What's the matter, Cosima?" Delphine asked, a hint of mischief in her eyes. "You were so talkative this morning?"


	6. Chapter 6

Cosima really, really wanted to have a witty response to that, but her brain was unfortunately frozen and Delphine could sense this, taking all advantage of the poor clone's static mouth.

"I really don't know what happened to her." The doctor said to the other clone, not losing the amused expression.

"You have to excuse her, Cosima's probably tired from getting her ass kicked all afternoon." Sarah explained and when the blonde gave her an inquisitive look, she added. "We were playing in the pool."

"Yeah, and Cosima's team lost, so..." Kira tried to help.

"Oh, is that so..." Delphine opened a smile and looked at the geek clone once again.

"Either that or she broke..." Sarah laughed, then started to poke at Cosima's side. "Oi! Cos, wake up!"

The movement had the effect of turning Cosima's brain back on. "Yeah, yeah... Fine!" She blinked a few times. "And you?"

"What?" Delphine asked confused.

"How are you?" This was probably the closest Cosima has been to have a crazy talk. And that's saying a lot, considering all those times she was high.

"I'm good, thank you." The doctor answered purposely slowly, like talking to a child, which made the actual child among them laugh.

Cosima looked at Kira, realizing how stupid she was sounding and wondering what the hell was wrong with her. What the fuck happened to her suave ways, she was usually so much better at this, it was not like her to turn off like that. It doesn't matter how hot the person was, Cosima had... game and she had to find a way to get back at it or this would be a very long night.

It was not clear how much interaction Cosima was suppose to have tonight with strangers, but Dr. Leekie had asked them to be  _available for_ questions. And if there was something she was not particularly found of was talking with strangers... at all, she hated have people she knew nothing about peering into her life. Now that she was here she really couldn't remember what led her to say yes. It's not like the men forced her out here, this was, for the lack of a better word, voluntary.

However, if, when making the decision to come, she neglected the fact she had to actually talk with people, Dr. Leekie manage to neglect something a lot more dangerous. Like a Sarah Manning with a microphone pointed at her and no one to control what she would say.  _God, for a genius, he can be very stupid._

"So yeah I just came here because Dr. Leekie agreed to pay for the studies of my little girl." The punk clone was saying to a few journalists who got near them as soon as they were spotted.

Cosima looked at Delphine, who was listening to the conversation with an expression somewhere between concern and amusement. Then, like feeling Cosima's gaze upon her, she turned her face to Cosima and offered another of her discreet smiles. "C'mon, there's someone I want you to meet."

The French got hold of one of the dreadlocked clone's hand and started to walk with purpose along the big room. Cosima let herself be dragged and even if there were plenty of people around them her eyes never left the long figure walking in front of her. Delphine's dress was backless, leaving exposed her long, pale back, with all the freckles teasing Cosima to reach and trace them. Meanwhile the doctor seemed to be totally oblivious to what was going one behind her, still surprising Cosima about how graceful she moved, managing to avoid every body along the way.  _No one should be allowed to be like this._ With her hand still firmly in Delphine's grasp, Cosima was struggling to keep up with the blonde's quick steps. It might or not had something to do with how distracted she got when her eyes started to fully take in the tall form in front of her, with her distracting elegant back and the distracting long legs and oh, so very distracting perfectly shaped a...

"Why are you slowing down?" Delphine asked, looking back at the most inappropriate of times.

Cosima could feel the heat rising to her cheeks. "I... Hmm... Smaller legs." She accomplished to answer.

Delphine said nothing and resumed the walk, this time a little slower. And if the clone had doubts she was caught staring, they evaporated when she noticed the tall blonde in front of her starting to sway her hips just a  _little_ more than earlier.  _God, I'm gonna die tonight._

Delphine stopped suddenly, making the walk much shorter than Cosima would've wanted. The doctor moved a little to the side, giving room for the clone to see what was going on in front of her. There was a middle aged woman talking to a couple of the people Cosima remembered, albeit very vaguely, seeing at Dr. Leekie's table at lunch.

When the woman noticed them she promptly excused herself and got near them. "Ah, Dr. Cormier, Aldous said you were coming, although I've got to admit, I really didn't believe him."

Cosima looked at the blonde, who became surprisingly shy. "Dr. Bowels, very happy to see you again."

"Why are you surprised?" The brunette couldn't resist asking.

"Cosima, this is Dr. Marion Bowles, she's one of the lead scientists at DYAD." Delphine introduced them, in what Cosima suspected was an attempt to diverge the attention from her question.

"Nice to meet you doctor." The clone extended her hand, which was softly shaken. "Now, why are you surprised?" She insisted, with a side glance at Delphine, who was adorably nibbling her lower lip.

"Delphine hardly leaves her lab. When I visit our facilities in Paris, the only way I get to see her is there." The older doctor answered with a small laugh. "I really don't know what got into her to cross an ocean just for a single weekend gathering."

There was something about the familiarity with which the other woman spoke that had alarms sounding in Cosima's head. She ignored them, instead she decided to choose a line of conversation less... Invasive. "So, Dr. Bowles, what exactly is your job in the awesomeness that is the DYAD?"

"I can understand your... reserves about our institution, but let me assure you that the days when we... hmm... lingered in less than legal activities are behind us." Marion said, finishing the sentence with a meaningful glance at Delphine.

Now, what the glance meant Cosima didn't know, but it definitely meant something, because the French's response was to lower her head. "Has Dr. Leekie received the memo? Because he doesn't seem particularly resentful about what he did." The clone said jokingly and grabbing a glass of red wine carried by one of the several waiters moving around the party.

"If we continue to support Aldous and his ideas the DYAD will find itself being the pariah of the scientific community." The other woman said, matter of factually. "We can't let him drag us down with him."

"Marion, that's just harsh." Delphine interjected.

"It's true, Delphine, and you know it."

Cosima was starting to see some light. "So, let me see if I've got this right." She raised her hands, looking between the two other women. "You've allowed him to call this press conference so he could have his little fifteen minutes of fame, while at the same time shooting himself on the foot. Then, what? You take over?"

"I've heard you're smart and you definitely don't disappoint." Marion raised the glass she had. "That's why we want you to come work with us."

Cosima was speechless, this she didn't expect. She took one long sip from her wine, pretending she was actually considering the offer, then she looked at Delphine right in the eyes. "And you knew about this?"

"About the offer, yes, but..." Staring at Marion. "Not about your other plans." And it seemed genuine. Either Delphine really had no idea about it or she was the greatest actress that never was. "Are you really going to let him commit career suicide?"

"He was warned and he chose not to listen." Marion simply said. "It's not my fault he won't turn away from his wrong decisions."

"Gotta say, calling me a wrong decision... Probably not the best way to get me on board." Cosima said, before another generous gulp at her drink, looking discreetly at Delphine.

Marion was staring at her and the clone could actually see the gears turning. "We'll take the bad with the good."

"Right... I'm outta here." Cosima turned and walked away, not looking back. Still, she could hear Delphine's clear, yet annoyed voice saying something to the other woman.

She reached the other clones, who apparently were being given a moments rest from all the journalists' questions. "Seems like we're in the mist of a power struggle." Cosima announced without warning.

"What do you mean?" Alison asked.

"Well, Dr.  _Balls_ there", she started pointing in the general direction she came from, "is planing on having Leekie take the fault for all this mess and take his place once all this is over."

"Oh my god, are you serious."

"No, Fee, totally joking." Cosima said. "Can't you see it in my face."

"God, no need to get all testy about it." He said. "Just because your French hottie is more than meets the eye in the bad way."

"I don't think Delphine knew anything about it. She just thought they were going to offer me a job." She explained.

"They offered you a job?" Sarah asked incredulous.

"Hey, some people actually think I'm good at what I do." Cosima was starting to sound resentful and she was not sure if it was due to the fucked up situation she found herself in or if the idea that there was something between the two other women was gaining a grip on her mind. "I'm sorry this is just..."

"Okay, okay... What can we do?" Beth decided to take control of the situation.

"What?! Like to help the Leekie creep?" Felix was surprised.

"The way I see it, it's better to stay with the enemy we know than to take the side of the unknown hungry for power bitch." Beth explained her reasons.

"The first question we need to ask ourselves is do we really want to help him. Because, I've got to say, I'm not all that comfortable with helping him." Alison gave her opinion.

"I say we help him." Sarah said to everyone's astonishment. "What?! Leekie can't pay for Kira's school bills in prison."

"Always the generous, this one." Fee said, a smile on his face, putting the hand that's not holding a glass over his sister shoulder.

"I'm thinking about the future of my daughter, ass..."

"Did he really offered to pay for her studies?" Cosima asked, because all this time she was sure Sarah had been joking.

Sarah scoffed. "No... But after we help his sorry ass, he damn sure will do anything I ask him to."

"And the selfless in you just keeps coming..." Beth laughed.

"Where is the little one, by the way?" The soccer mom started to look around the room until her eyes stopped at the little girl, talking and giggling next to wild blonde curls. "Really?!"

"What? She loves Helena and the crazy one is always in control with Kira near by." Sarah defended her decision.

No one was able to dispute that, Helena was usually unmanageable, but with Kira it was like she found an equally childish soul. It made sense, in Cosima's point of view, Helena never really had a childhood, raised in the strict laws of the convent, she kinda needed to catch up with all the playing she missed. It was passed the normal time for her, but she did deserve a little childish joy. Besides, it seemed to be the best way to keep Helena under control during the night, there's no saying what would've happened had Kira not been here.

"If we're going to do this, we need a plan." Beth said, getting Cosima's attention back at the group of clones and away from the little girl playing with Helena.

"Yeah, clone club!" Felix said a little too excited, making every clone look at him weirdly. "What!? We need a name for it!"

"Alright... how are we going to do it, then?" Alison was clearly still not convinced.

"We have two options: make Leekie look like an angel; or expose Dr. Balls as the bitch she is." Sarah laid it out.

"Is that really her name?" Felix asked.

"No, it's Bowles, but you know..." Cosima smiled. "Uh, we can make that her code name... That's a thing, right Beth?" The former cop raised her brow. "Hey, three months stuck in bed with nothing but bad TV..."

"Okay..." Beth said, giving the dreadlocked clone a side glance. "Making Leekie seem like the good guy might be easier, but I don't think neither of us is comfortable with that." She stopped to acknowledge the nods all around. "So exposed Dr. Bowles it is."

"Yeah, but how are we going to achieve that?" Cosima asked, being faced with meaningful looks by everyone else. "What?"

"Dr. Cormier seems to know her..." Sarah started.

"Yeah... And since you're all cozy with Delphine..." Felix completed.

"I am not going to play James Bond with Delphine!" Cosima was already shaking her head. "Besides, I wouldn't even know where to start."

"You said they offered you a job, right?" Alison asked, not really expecting an answer. "Go talk with her about it, you know... Pretend to be looking for more information."

"Hm-mh... And then try to get some more intel on Dr. Bowles." Beth was the one who gave the last stabbing.

"You know that for me Intel is a computer chip, right? You are aware of that..." It was Cosima's last attempt at getting out of it.

But it was no good, she was in a clear minority, since everyone's mind was set on it. "Fuck!" She folded. "And what are you guys going to do, while I exploit Delphine?"

"We are going to ask around, see what we can find talking with other people." Beth said. "But you are our best chance at getting the good stuff."

"Oh, that's just great." Cosima mumbled.

The newly formed  _Clone Club_ dispersed. The others would take a particular area of the big hall and ask around about the woman. While Cosima's mission was more objective: she was to find Delphine and try to get as much information as she could as discreetly as she could. Which was not a lot, considering the fact she was not a deceitful person by nature. She could only hope all the hours wasted watching Castle would count for something.

There was a squeeze in her heart as she approach the blonde from behind, who was talking with someone Cosima did really know. Part of her knew it wouldn't matter, she had the feeling that if she asked Delphine to talk with her alone, the French would agree and that just made it worse. Cosima hated to take advantage of other people, no matter who they were, but with Delphine was awful, in a way she knew it would take away her sleep at night.

Like always Delphine seemed to have sensed her getting close, because she turned to face the clone. "Cosima... Is everything alright?"

"Yeah, sure! Why do you ask?" She tried to sound at ease, when she was feeling anything but.

"Oh, you just look... I don't know, like there's something bothering you." The doctor said, an encouraging smile pulling at her lips.

"No, no... It's fine... I'm fine... I just..."

Delphine laughed a little. "Well, at least now you are able to talk... Barely..."

"Ah, ah... Make fun of the social inadequate one..." Cosima couldn't help the tongue poking between her teeth. "No, I just wanted to talk with you about that offer, you know... If it still stands."

Delphine's face showed some interest, but was not as excited as Cosima expected. "Sure, if you really want to..."

"I'm not sure, that's why I wanted you to answer me some questions." Cosima was trying really hard to read the other woman's expression. "Why? You think I'm not DYAD material?"

"Non, non... That's not it. But..." Delphine grabbed her by the elbow and pushed her to through a door, where they had some privacy. "But are you sure you want to join us? It seems like this is going to be a mess for some time."

The French was talking low, even if there was no one where they were and her eyes were constantly leaving Cosima's face to go to the door they've just crossed. She was afraid, that was plainly. "Maybe you should wait some time before decide it. Reconsider it, you know."

The fact that Delphine was so obviously trying to protect Cosima made her feel even worse about what she was doing. "Delphine, c'mon. Dr. Bowles seems to be pretty sure everything will go her way..."

"That may be so, but there's always some... casualties in these coupes d'état." Delphine was still whispering. "I don't want you to get caught in this mess."

"You're worried about me?" It was a question, sure, but Cosima knew the answer damn well.

"I... I'm your doctor, of course I'm worried." The blonde said, avoiding the clone's intense gaze.

"Right... I understand. Going to all the trouble of saving me from dying of a disease, only to see me... oh... How did you put it?" Cosima stopped to think for the right words, while Delphine was looking at her with a curious expression, not really getting what the brunette was talking about. "Oh, shit... career suicide. Before it even starts."

"That's not it... I'm just worried..." Delphine started to nibble at her lower lip again. "About... About you. Marion is not a very nice person, even of she can be better than Leekie..."

Cosima was getting there, what she and the others wanted, but why didn't it feel like she was doing the right thing? "Is she?... Better than Leekie?"

"She can be." The doctor answered. "But we don't know how a person is going to respond to power. And Marion loves it..."

"You know her well, huh?" Cosima asked, more than a little afraid of the answer.

Delphine's eyes squinted just a little. "She's a regular visitor at our facilities in Paris."

"That's not what I meant?"

"What did you mean then?" The French waited for an answer, but it never came, all Cosima could do was looking at her own feet. "Why do you care?"

"I... I don't, really." The clone finally had the strength to look up.

Delphine was smiling, her lips curved just a little, but it were her eyes that gave her away, sparkling, moving between features on Cosima's face. It was Cosima who finally ended the staring contest, pulling the blonde by the neck, right until their lips crashed.

 _I'm so bad at this spy shit,_ was the clone's last coherent thought before she allowed her mind to be blurred by the feeling of Delphine's arms going around her waist to pull her closer and Delphine's tongue begging for entrance between her lips.


	7. Chapter 7

Cosima succumbed to the light push the taller woman was giving her and found herself taking a few steps backwards, Delphine right on her, elegant hands pulling her closer, while the body was encouraging her to go back. Until she felt the solid wall behind her. She broke the kiss to get a few hungry breaths only to find the impossibly hot lips traveling lower to her neck.

"Mmmm... Delphine, don't you think we're going kind of fast?" The dreadlocked girl's voice was low. It was not that she didn't want this to happen, but she needed some breathing room to gather her thoughts and besides, the reason she came to the other woman in the first place was still bothering her.

But Delphine didn't seem to hesitate. "Non... I really don't." The answer came softly against the skin of the clone's neck. The lips, could not stay still, though, as if they couldn't decide which feature of the brunette they craved to taste the most. They moved up and Cosima felt a wet tongue gently lick her earlobe, before teeth found purchase in it. "I don't think I can wait until I get you all to myself again."

Cosima groaned, her entire body heating up, rolling her hips forward, feeling an impossible satisfaction when the response from the other end was pushing her against the wall and the hands, which where gripping her waist still, started to move north, up her sides, firmly but not demanding, until they covered the mounds of her breasts and squeezing them just roughly enough for her to feel she really shouldn't be wearing any clothes at all.

"Fuck..." The smaller woman managed to moan, before the starving mouth found hers again and an urgent tongue requested entry once more after white pearls tugged at her bottom lip. Concerns be damned, it's not like Cosima could resist the blonde in front of her in a normal situation, let alone when Delphine was pushing all her buttons just the right way.

Cosima's hands moved from the long neck, where they've been holding softly the entire time, to the doctor's waist, pulling them as close together as it was physically possible. Delphine seemed to enjoy the change of pace, pressing Cosima harder, pinning the tattooed woman between her long frame and the wall, hands jolting back to life on the clone's bosoms. Cosima's own hands were constantly moving also, like it was her habit, but this time, instead of waving about in the air, they were mapping the taller woman's back, rejoicing on the soft, hot to the touch skin her fingers found there.

There's was moment when Cosima could feel the world around her go away, all thoughts of her mind expunged, with Delphine's tongue exploring her mouth avidly and thumbs moving around where only nipples should be, and not fabric. Until lips moved down to her collarbone and sucked a little harder.

"Delphine... Shit... That's gonna leave a mark." Cosima tried to sound reasonable in the mist of the fog her mind was sent to the second the blonde looked at her with a hungry gaze.

The doctor moved her head, her lips with a cunning smile getting closer to Cosima's own, with the impulse the long hands were giving, moving to the back of the brunette's neck. "I know..."

The clone's laugh was throaty. "Oh my god, I was so wrong about you."

Delphine arched an eyebrow. "How's so?"

"You are definitely the bad type." Cosima moved to the tip of her toes and reached the pink lips. "You play the shy doctor very well, though."

"I never said I was shy, you just assumed that." The French's hands resumed their exploration, this time finding their way around Cosima's torso and starting to move south along her back.

"Yeah... And you let me."

"Should I have given you a fair warning or something?" Delphine asked. And her hands were still traveling lower.

"It would've been nice. Would've spare me the...  _Holy Darwin..._ " Cosima wasn't able to finish her thought once the long hands found her ass and pushed her even closer to the doctor's body.

Delphine presented her with a self-satisfied grin. "You were saying..."

The smile was immediately caught between Cosima's lips though, as she pulled Delphine by the golden locks in a searing kiss. Moving her hips forward the dreadlocked woman felt a firm thigh pushing them back and hands urgently releasing her ass, only to find them going to the lower seam of her dress and getting it up to her waist.

"Jeez, Delphine..." Cosima groaned when the leg hit  _just_ the right spot. She didn't remember feeling this worked up, ever. What this gorgeous woman was doing to her... the clone had no name to it. Although, she didn't need to name it, to know how she felt, not with the wetness gathering between her legs.

"Cosima, tu es si doux." A whisper reached the brunette's ear, along with a hot breath.

"That's so not fair. I can't talk to you in sexy French..." It was a pleasure release masked as a complain.

"You don't need to." Delphine said. Her hands moving steadily up Cosima's inner thighs. "I just want to hear you moan my name."

And when the French's thumbs reached the edge of the American's panties and pushed inside, Cosima did just that. "Delphine you're gonna kill me here." Her hips rocking down, looking for more friction, while Delphine's fingers moved faster to the waistband of the clone's undergarments.

The wave of applause coming from the other room broke the spell and the two women turned their heads simultaneously to the door that separated them from the real world. It seemed like the main event was about to start.

"Not yet, ma chèrie..." Delphine said, removing her hands from where they ignited a fire and starting to get some distance from the smaller woman's body.

Cosima was not having it. She wrapped her hands around the doctor's waist and pulled her closer. "Forget about them." She said, her eyes moving from the blonde's face to the door. "I say we ditch them and... You know... Resume where we stopped."

Delphine pulled her face to plant a soft kiss on the brunette's lips. "I would really like that, but I'm sure you would be miss... and so would I."

"And you don't want them to know we would be together." It was Cosima who was moving away now.

The doctor grabbed her by the wrist, keeping her close. "That's not it, Cosima. But this is why we're here. Don't you think it would be weird if we suddenly disappeared."

Cosima moved the held arm, which Delphine easily released, lacing their hands. "Let's do it! Let's just get out of here and don't return until all this crap is over." It was silly, Cosima knew, but the fact was, she didn't want to be dealing with all the problems when she could very well be alone, exploring the beautiful woman standing in front of her lightly nibbling her own lower lip.

"This will be over soon, I promise." The doctor said, walking the few steps they were from the door, but still holding the clone by the hand. "And then we're free to do whatever we want." Pulling Cosima's body to hers and giving her one last kiss before opening the door and peeking outside. "The coast is clear." Delphine said with a wink, before getting out.

There wasn't much Cosima could do, but follow her steps.


	8. Chapter 8

There was really no way they could re-enter the big hall without people knowing they were in a private room together, for the simple fact that the only way out of said room was directly into where everyone was. Something that both women neglected to think about when they got in. So Cosima could only hope that what they were up to inside wasn't plastered on her face, even if she was aware she must look, at least, a little flustered, judging by how hot her skin felt.

Delphine did a number on her, but also didn't escape unscathed. And, although Cosima obviously couldn't know how she looked like, she could see the doctor flushed, her much paler complexion was a canvas painted in the most glorious of reds.

The clone was smiling to herself when she reached the table where the rest of the clones were sat, as well as Felix and the little girl. She sat on the only available chair at the round table, between Felix and Beth, lost in the thoughts, not noticing the glances everyone was throwing her way.

"That good?" Felix asked, next to her, with a gentle push to her shoulder, trying to break the clone off her gaze.

"Yeah..." Cosima answered before her brain had time to process what was being asked - or better, where and who was asking the question. She blinked a few times. "I mean... So much intel..."

"So you  _did_ talk, yeah?" Sarah asked, point-blank.

"Of course we did! What do you think we were..."

"Oh Cosima, let it go. If the mark on your neck wouldn't give you away, the blondie's hair would have." Beth said. "It doesn't make a detective to know her hair was pulled up neatly before going in there with you and got out with it down and not so impeccably styled. Besides, the color..."

"Okay, okay... I get it!" Cosima surrendered, her hands in the air, desperate to kill the subject.

"So..." Felix got her attention again. "Does Dr. Cormier got it, or what?"

"Oh... She's got it, alright!" The dreadlocked clone smirked, the memory of the blonde's body pressed against hers still warming her skin. "She's got it bad..."

"Hmmm... Who would've thought?" Sarah said, turning on her chair to give a glance in the young doctor's direction. "Look at her, so proper and all, talking low, smiles all around. I imagined she was stiff like Ali over here." She finished, turning her stare to the clone next to her.

"Leave me out of this... Please!" Alison was softly red since the conversation had started, but now the color was spreading.

"Maybe Ali has a wild side we don't know about." Felix teased. "Hey, Ali! Have you ever thought about going downtown to discover yourself?"

"Give it a rest, will you Fee?" Beth put some order on the table.

"What are you talking about?" Kira was right in front of Cosima, who was convinced the girl was distracted with her games with the blonde clone.

"Science, sweetie... Totally crazy science..." Cosima answered, winking at the little girl.

The conversation was interrupted by a waiter approaching the table. Apparently a meal was to be served and for dessert the speeches were reserved. Cosima was currently planning on getting Delphine out of the annoying presentations and have another type of dessert, more appealing to the clone. That made her turn her head to the side, catching Delphine seated at the table where the DYAD personal was. Ironically, the French woman was stuck between Leekie and Bowles, but was, at the moment, leaning in the direction of the female doctor, who was talking directly into Delphine's ear, making her nod in agreement.

"Cosima?" Beth pinched her side.

"Huh?" Cosima gave her attention to the clone who was calling her for some time now.

"Did you get anything from Delphine other than how good she is in... science?"

"Oh, well..." She twisted her nose. "Not really." When she was faced with disbelief looks all around, Cosima tried to justify herself. "I warned you I wasn't good at it!"

"So nothing?" Alison asked, taking her wine glass to her lips and having another generous sip.

"Hmmm... Delphine did advise me to put the brakes on my decision regarding the job offer." The tattooed clone remembered. "She said the next few months could be a blood bath."

"Why would she say that?" The former detective inquired.

"According to her, Dr. Bowles has a taste for power..." Cosima explained. "And I can only assume that if she replaces Leekie she'll have a big chunk of it."

"Doesn't sound like Delphine's excited about having a new boss." Sarah said.

"I think she's just being careful. Delphine knows how to deal with Leekie, he has been her boss for some time now." Cosima was saying, not resisting to, now and then, steal a few glances in the blonde's direction. "If Marion takes over, she'll have to adjust."

"Hmmh, yes... Nobody likes changes!" Alison agreed, reaching for the bottle of wine on the center of the table and filling her glass once more. "Except Donnie... He loves changes!" She completed, tilting the glass over her lips.

"Something tells me she's not talking anymore about DYAD... I don't know what's giving me that feeling, though." Cosima said with irony, looking at Alison who was well on the way to finish yet another glass of wine.

Everyone at the table was sharing worried glances, even Kira and Helena stopped what they were doing to look as the soccer mom was crumbling right in front of them. Meanwhile Alison was reaching out to the bottle again.

"I think not, dear." Beth snatched the green bottle before Alison could get to it.

"Beth!" Alison's demanding voice raising over what she would normally consider appropriate, turning a few heads from the people on the table closer to theirs. "Give me that bottle!"

"You should stick with water from now on." Felix's voice much lower, as if encouraging the clone to lower hers.

"Yeah... Or coffee." Sarah scoffed, clearly enjoying the disruption in the otherwise calm clone.

"That's not helping, Sarah!" Beth censured.

"C'mon, this party is a bore... Let her have a little fun. Maybe then the party can really start!" The last statement was said a little louder, Sarah wanted to make sure the people closer to them, who were still staring, could hear.

Alison got up from her chair too fast for anyone to anticipate it, taking advantage of the shock she caused in everyone at the table to swipe the wine bottle from Beth's grasp and filling her glass almost to the top, only stopping when there was not a drop left to pour.

"Can I get everyone's attention please." She said loud to the room. Not satisfied with it, she reached for her fork, after setting down the bottle and tapped it again her glass. If there was anyone who wasn't looking before, they sure were now. "Yes, thank you!"

She raised her hand, the glass spilling a few drops of the deep red liquor in the process. "I would like to propose a toast!" Alison announced. A few startled faces did indeed started to raise their glasses. "To Dr. Leekie, who's a creeper, but put us in this shity world."

Cosima's eyes shifting between the standing clone and Delphine, whose mouth was opened in shock, staring with wide eyes at Alison.

After gulping down almost half of the content of the glass in one go, Alison looked down, where Beth was pulling at her wrist, trying to get her to seat again. "Alright, Ali... You can sit down now." She coaxed her.

"Oh wait, I'm not done." Alison tried to whisper, but her voice was no longer able to keep a low tone. "Also, I'd like to say," she continued to the big room this time, "I will be sorry to see you leave, Dr. Leekie..."

She stopped and Cosima breathed out, convinced Alison was done.

"Well, maybe I won't be sorry." The clone continued. She only stopped to give a little attention to the glass in her hand. "But you seem to, at least, care about us, which is more than I can say about Dr. Balls over there." Her finger pointing to the woman.

"Now, we did try to make this a little more discreetly." Alison was staring to muddle, sounding drunker with each word. "But Cosima only cared about making out with the frenchie and forgot what she's was supposed to be doing."

At this Cosima's head shoot in Delphine's way, who was not looking at the spectacle anymore. No. Delphine was staring at Cosima, the anger in her eyes so vivid that the clone could see it from where she was. The blonde held Cosima's stare for a long time, until the anger started to transform into hurt, the only thing the brunette could do was attempt an apologetic glance. But either Delphine did get it or she just didn't care for it, because she turned her face away and got up, starting to silently move to the door that lead to the elevators area.

No one noticed it, since all eyes were in Alison as she continued her speech, sounding just like background noise to Cosima now.

It only took a few seconds for the dreadlocked clone to consider her next actions. She didn't have Delphine's advantage of being far away from every stare, especially now that Alison mentioned her in her little speech, but she had to make good with the doctor. Cosima was afraid that the blonde moved away from the table only to pack her bags and leave as fast as possible, so, in her mind, her time was ticking down.

As discreetly as she could, but still with urgency pressing in her brain, Cosima got up and follow Delphine's steps, quickly reaching the door. From there she could see the blonde pressing non-stop the button to call the elevator.

"It won't come faster just because you keep pressing it." Cosima said, only a step behind the taller woman.

Delphine didn't answer, but turned her neck to look down at the brunette. Then restarted to take her anger out on the button, breathing out loudly.

Cosima reached for her wrist, stopping the motion just as the lift was opening its doors. "I'm sorry, Delphine." She said once the blonde looked over her shoulder again.

"Are you sorry about what you did or about being caught?" Delphine's voice was dangerously low.

"Both, actually." The clone unconsciously answered and in response the doctor immediately stepped in the elevator and press the button to her floor. "Crap... Wait! Delphine?" In a fast move, Cosima managed to get in before the doors slid shut.

"You know, I was actually very surprised that you were willing to let go of everything I've done wrong." Delphine said, her voice losing a little of the bite it had before. "But now I see that you were only trying to get information from me."

Cosima swallowed the guilt rising to her throat. "That was not..."

"I would've given it to you," the blonde said, lifting her head to met Cosima's stare, "if you had only asked."

With that the clone figured there was nothing she could do, there was no way around it, she had managed to fuck up once and for all what she had built with Delphine. Sighing loudly, she pressed the button to her own floor before the lift passed it. It didn't take longer than ten seconds for the elevator to reach her floor and open its doors. With a heavy heart Cosima gave the first of two steps it would take her to leave Delphine behind.

She never crossed though, the blonde kept her inside, with a soft hand holding her arm, preventing Cosima to leave, who watched as the doors closed again in front of her, still no having the courage to look back, but opening her hand when she felt long fingers reaching the palm of it, lacing their fingers.

They stayed like that until another ping, followed by doors opening announcing they were in Delphine's floor. The blonde passed in front of her, gently pulling the brunette's hand when she was stuck in place. It was not that Cosima wasn't eager to follow, but she was possibly more in shock now than when Alison decided to give a toast.

But when she was able to shake the surprise away, her impulse was to immediately trail after Delphine, whose hand wasn't leaving hers, her thumb was designing circles over the increasingly warmer skin of the back of Cosima's hand. They were standing in front of Delphine's bedroom door when the clone had gained total control of both her hands and she didn't wait for the French woman to take the card key from her purse before latching to the waist that was teasing her earlier and pulled against her body.

Cosima felt Delphine catch her breath at the unexpected movement, but extended her neck as soon as she felt hot lips nipping at the top of her shoulder.

"Be patient!" Delphine pretended to scold, removing the arms wrapped around her, but deliciously pressing harder against the body behind her.

The brunette groaned in despair, but gave some room for the blonde to finally open the door, practically skipping inside. She stopped only to contemplate the bedroom. It was actually much larger than hers, the decoration much more expensive, even her untrained eyes could tell the difference between her lousy room and the suite.

When Cosima's eyes found Delphine again, she was against the back of the couch right in the middle of the big room, facing Cosima, her shoes had been kicked off, her ankles slightly crossed, waiting for the clone to give her some attention.

"So?" Delphine said, her eyebrow raised.

About the impatience hint in her voice Cosima wasn't sure if it was just teasing or real. She really didn't care to find out. There were other priorities in her mind.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Careful now!

Cosima opened up a cunning smile as she gave a few steps, each shortening the far too long distance that separated her from the waiting blonde, who had a corner of her lips pulled up, in half a grin. The smaller woman had the weird feeling that, even though she was the one on the move, getting closer to Delphine, the doctor wasn't the prey. She was. Voluntarily approaching certain death.

The brunette was not used to this kind of situation. Even when she was younger and lacked experience, Cosima always found a way to be on the upper hand, she was always the hunter. It was not that she opposed to be conquered now and then, but she was used to be the bold one. She enjoyed being approached by girls too shy to bluntly make their intentions clear. Cosima liked to break, brick by brick, whatever kind of weak barrier that kept her from the body she would eventually be wrapped around.

That was all true, even now, but as Cosima stopped, just a mere step shy of Delphine, she decided that, when it comes to the French woman, she liked this way much more.

The blonde's dark orbs were carved on her face, something like a question forming in her raised brows -  _why aren't you getting closer?_ , they seemed to ask. But Cosima was enjoying too much the pleasant shivers down her spine, caused by the awareness that Delphine was waiting for her, to put a stop to it just yet. That and the knowledge that Delphine was not the kind of person who liked to be left waiting, despite what she said earlier, Cosima was almost sure patience didn't run deep in the woman casually leaning on the head rest of couch in front of her.

And she was right, because it didn't take long for Delphine to try to get up from where she was, but Cosima was of a different opinion and wanted the blonde where she was, looking up at the clone, who was a few inches taller since she was still standing. So, with that in mind, Cosima placed a hand on Delphine's shoulder to keep her in the same position. The doctor obliged and sat back down, her eyes not leaving the brunette's face, which she lowered just a little for Delphine to feel the ghost of her lips on her own.

"Tease." Delphine whispered against her lips when she realized Cosima had no intention to deepen the kiss, keeping it to just a light brush.

Moving her lips along the blonde's jaw line, the clone reached an ear and nipped at it, still gently. "You told me to be patient." She reminded Delphine, but the hand placed on the doctor's shoulder was moving down the length of the arm's soft skin, feeling the muscles of it tighten as the other woman clutched harder on the sofa behind her.

Delphine uncrossed her legs, in a clear invitation for Cosima to get closer, but the clone only stepped back, hearing a murmured complain falling from Delphine's lips. The clone quickly put those complains to rest when she moved both her hands to the creamy inner thighs she found under the dress when she pushed it up and started to move them up. Each inch traveled the space for her to settle increasing, as Delphine kept spreading her legs.

"Merde, Cosima. Hurry!" The blonde complained once more, due to the clone's torturous slow pace.

"Hmm... I don't think so..." Cosima said back, a quirky smile in place, capable of eluding the hands that were fast trying to pull her by the waist. "Tsk, tsk, tsk..." She snapped her tongue at the blonde's bad behavior, taking off her glasses and throwing them to the couch pillows behind the other woman. "You're gonna have to pay for that..." The several rings and bracelets she had, followed next.

And she gave another step back. This time Delphine didn't have time to express her displeasure, since Cosima went to her knees and started to spread feather light kisses up the blonde's inner thigh, moving her hands on the outside of the legs between her head, bringing the dress up with the motion. During all this teasing, the doctor was able to keep her composer, though, Cosima had to give her that. Not once she made another attempt to make the dreadlocked woman move faster, taking her  _punishment_ without any more complaints.

However it was Cosima who wasn't sure she would be capable to keep it this slow, every kiss bringing her closer to Delphine's center, from where the delicious sent of her arousal erupted. The clone looked up, her eyes locking with Delphine's, who was staring at her, nibbling the lower lip. It was enough for Cosima not to be able to control herself any longer and she moved her lips up, planting a deep kiss over the thin fabric of the black lacy panties, feeling the wetness under her lips.

Delphine thew her head back, a curse escaping her lips that Cosima couldn't make out and finally giving in to the impulse of rolling her hips forward and move a hand to the back of Cosima's head. The brunette allowed herself to keep her lips a little longer than she initially intended, but maintained the movement slow and light, despite the hand on her head clearly wanting something a little more.

When Cosima figured Delphine wasn't going to take much longer, given how much faster the hips were rocking against her, she moved up, sure to have left the blonde burning up. In fact, Cosima wasn't sure she could resist herself to the temptation of give Delphine what she was demanding.

Although, reaching the doctors mouth she couldn't help but to press a hard kiss against the waiting lips and move her body forward to keep the pressure between Delphine's legs. Realizing in that moment her own dress was only on the way, she pushed back and, in a swift move, pulled it over head, after giving a playful shove to the other woman's hands, which were attempting to help in the endeavor.

"No!" She said, a cocky grin on her lips.

This time Delphine's impatience got the best of her and pulling the shorter woman by the wrist, captured her lips. "Brat!" She groaned, pulling the brunette's lips between her teeth.

Cosima hooked both her thumbs on the waistband of Delphine's underwear and pushed down, in one quick motion, once the blonde lift her hips in permission. "Mmm... You have no idea how much." Cosima agreed against her lips.

"Show me!" Delphine's voice urgently demanded against the shell of the clone's ear, pulling the side of her head harshly to her lips.

Cosima moaned at the words, but didn't miss a beat, fast reaching for the straps of the taller woman's dress and roughly pulling it down. As expected, Delphine wasn't wearing any bra, the open back of her dress allowed Cosima to imagine that with a safe degree of certainly, the light heaviness of the doctor's breasts held by the pressure of the fabric against her skin.

When the clone was faced with Delphine in all her naked glory, for a heart beat, she wasn't sure where her hands would go first. She settled for her cheeks, however, wanting to apply a little tenderness to the raw moment. So Cosima started to kiss the other woman's lips, softly at first, but as Delphine's hands moved to her lower back, pulling their bodies flush, her tongue started to demand entry, immediately granted.

Both women kept dancing their tongues against one another, their hips searching for a rhythm in which they could agree with. Cosima pushing forward, but Delphine not allowing her to take full control over what was going on, pushing back. It drove the brunette insane, knowing that the impossible gorgeous woman, whose legs she was in between, wanted to make her presence felt, that she  _was_  there with her, wanting to feel her as much as Cosima wanted.

She wasn't able to keep it any longer and moved her hand fast along the other woman's body, never losing contact with the hot skin, but not making any stop either on the journey south. A sole finger opened the path she craved to trail, not surprised to find it slick and warm, impossibly wet and hot. Delphine released her lips and gasped at the contact, the blonde's hands moving to Cosima's dreads, getting ready for it.

Now, Cosima has been with her fair share of women, she won't say they were all the same, but she will not fall into the lie to say they were all great. The clone, specially  _before she was a clone,_ had the luck of being with enough sex partners to not expect greatness every time. However, the moment Delphine had put her hands around her, Cosima was waiting for something special.

But nothing could've prepare her for this, not even with all the flirt and teases that lead to this inevitable moment.

Delphine felt inviting and tight around her fingers, as she pushed inside her hand was instantly coated in the blonde's wetness. Cosima expected her to be worked up, but not this much. Using her thigh to add pressure she pushed again, Delphine's hips meeting her half way, expertly and with purpose.

"Faster." The French woman's labored breathing creating goosebumps in Cosima's neck, softly moaning her request.

Cosima upped the tempo, her fingers working to grant the desired demand. Pumping in and out, always with the added benefit of her upper leg helping her reach deeper. A "oui" left Delphine's lip, it was not loud, not even close. It was a sensual whisper, followed by a nip to Cosima's collarbone. And the blonde kept rolling her waist, in sync with the brunette's every thrust, whose hand that wasn't working on directly pleasing Delphine wrapped around her lower back, helping the motion. The rhythm was not rushed, both still in control enough to keep it slow, but deep.

Tentatively, Cosima brushed her thumb over Delphine's clit, just a light touch, barely even there. But it made good in making Delphine's hips jolt a little. The smaller woman couldn't help the grin making its way to her lips. Another brush, this time more intense and Cosima felt short but biting nails carve into her skull and the blonde losing a little of the intentionality to her hips move.

"Baise, Cosima!" It was still low, but much more stifling the voice that reached her ears.

Still the brunette pushed back the will to make her come right there and then, convinced she knew what it took for it. Cosima reminded herself that it was about the journey, not the destination. Besides, she planned to keep Delphine on the edge for a little while longer. So, instead she started to move her fingers in and out faster, the other woman's hips working harder to keep up with her. The couch that was still supporting their weight started to slid over the neatly polished floor, it wouldn't be able to hold them if they continue to increase the pace like Cosima wanted.

Hesitantly, Cosima pulled her hand back and the arm around Delphine gave a little tug, so she could understand what was going on. The blonde groaned, but looked back getting Cosima's meaning. The clone gave a quick glance to the bed, but she wasn't ready to lose the control just yet.

For a moment Cosima wasn't sure how to proceed and Delphine could sense it. Moving her hands from Cosima's head to her checks, she pushed her lips up. "C'mon... I'll let you stay on top a little bit longer." She said with a knowing smile pushing up her face.

Cosima half grinned to Delphine's cockiness, but her eyes sparkled with a dangerous glow, which escaped the blonde already turning and tugging at the brunette's hand for her to follow.

Once they reached the bed, Delphine sat on the edge of it casually, but Cosima shoved her not so casually, immediately straddling the woman looking at her with eyes wide open.

"You'll  _let_ me stay on top?" Cosima asked, the danger in her eyes transferred to the sound of her voice.

"Oui." Delphine answered smugly, nodding her head and trying to sit up.

But Cosima didn't allow, pushing her back against the mattress again and her fingers going straight to the swollen nub, giving a few strokes, not roughly, but had nothing left of the earlier brushes. Following that with the two fingers pushing inside quickly and starting to pump a little harder, the pressure of her hips against the back of her hand giving her an advantage she never had standing up... as well as pleasure. She could feel her own wetness over her panties.

Delphine's hands moved to Cosima's waist, pulling it harder against herself. "Merde. Ne t'arrête pas..." Now she was louder. Not screaming... No, not yet, but her voice had lost the previous control.

No... She didn't scream until Cosima began to curl her fingers inside and her thumb move in circles around her clit. Then she did, screaming Cosima's name and arching her back until it was completely out of the bed and holding tightly the clone's shoulders, scratching the tanned skin, creating searing marks down the brunette's back.

Until there was nothing left to scream as the orgasm filled her body and left it in the form of a low moan. Her hips still moving from the aftershocks against Cosima's fingers buried deep in her.

"Seriously... That was amazing." Cosima said, recovering her fingers slowly and licking them clean.

"Oui." Delphine raised her head from Cosima's shoulders, where she rested it to recover with a few shaky breaths. "It really was." She pressed her lips against the clone's for one sloppy kiss.

"I bet you're happy to have saved my life now." Cosima joked, getting up from the bed.

Delphine held her hand before the dreadlocked woman could get any further. "I would always be, even if we never had met or..."

"Fucked." Cosima completed, grinning. "I know, I was just playing." She answered the doctor, leaning her head to plant a soft kiss in the pink lips, now a little swollen. "But you have to admit: it's a hell of a nice bonus."

"Mmmm... It really is." The blonde whispered, but Cosima was pulling back again. "Where are you going?"

"Bathroom." The brunette threw back over her shoulder, already getting to the door of it and flipping the lights on. "Wow..." She gasped when she could see its inside. "I think this bathroom is bigger than my room."

Turning on the faucet, she splashed some water over her face, hearing the blonde giggling from the room. "Really, like, compared to this my room looks like a spartan quarter. And here I was, thinking I could take down DYAD requesting a lousy double room." Cosima commented, filling a glass of water and stopping at the threshold looking inside, where Delphine had already pulled the covers of the bed down. She frowned. "Thinking of having your way with me?"

Delphine looked up with a small smiled. "If you want to take down DYAD you can take a bottle of the water from the minibar over there." She said instead of answer to the other woman's provocation, her thumb aiming behind her back to a black counter.

Cosima walked there, her brain vaguely registering the naked woman extending her body on the bed with a loud sigh of pleasure. "Yeah... Bottled water from the minibar, that will show them." She chuckled, reaching for the water and unscrewing it. She took a big swallow, her eyes inspecting Delphine's body, glowing a little from the sweat covering it.

"Thirsty?" Delphine asked innocently, but the way her eyes shined revealed much darker intentions.

"Parched." Cosima said back, approaching the blonde and starting to settle the bottle on the nightstand.

Delphine sat up and took it from her hands, not so unconsciously, brushing her fingers over the clone's. Meanwhile, Cosima was still standing up in front of her, looking down. When the slender woman was satisfied she placed the bottle on the furniture by the bed and immediately wrapped her arms around the brunette's waist, pulling her closer and planting one soft kiss just bellow the bellybutton.

"Perhaps, if you ever come to Paris I can arrange for the DYAD to pay for a suite right in the city's center." The French woman said against her skin. "The prices are obscene."

Cosima swallowed the lump fast forming in her throat and pushed aside the sad notion that they would go their separate ways the next day. "Yeah, one hotel room at a time." The joke fell from her lips, but she wasn't feeling it, it tasted foul.

"Hey... What's wrong?" Delphine asked, sensing the other woman's change in demeanor.

"Nothing." She answered quickly, not wanting to ruin the night with overprocessing what was going on inside her mind.

Cosima moved her hands to Delphine's shoulders, trying to pin her against the mattress for round two, but she was faced with resistance and the blonde's arms around her hips tightening the hold.

"No?" The smaller woman looked down.

"Not even..." Delphine confirmed, her hands snaking up Cosima's spine, creating a soft trail of delicious heat, reaching the clasp of the bra and snapping it open.

The blazing heat moving from the clone's back to her front, following the path of the doctor's hands, covering the tattooed woman's breasts and rolling them on the palms of her hands. Delphine's tongue darting out and lapping slowly up the brunette's torso. Cosima groaned, her body's temperature escalating with each inch the wet tongue travelled, pressing forward in need to feel Delphine's touch harder on her skin, submerging her fingers in the golden locks, pushing the head up and leaning for a deep kiss.

"God, you're so..." Cosima moaned against the other woman's lips, her mind fighting to find the correct word to complete her thought.

"So?" Delphine's hands stopping, waiting for Cosima to finish her statement.

The clone stayed still for some time, searching her vocabulary for the right word, but she eventually gave up. "You know, I don't think it has been invented the right adjective to describe you."

Delphine chuckled. "And I think you are too good with words for your own good."

"I..." Cosima was about to start defend her theory when the room phone interrupted her. Then she looked at the phone and then to the blonde.

"Let it ring." The French woman said, her lips finding Cosima's stomach and her hands moving to her ass. "There's no one here."

The phone was still ringing when Delphine slid her hands down Cosima's thighs, bringing the last piece of clothing down with them. Catching the smaller woman off guard, she spun her around and pushed her against the bed, moving quickly to pin her. The breath left Cosima's lungs in one go as she felt the blonde's wight against her skin. Starting to feel hot lips everywhere, on her neck, shoulder, a tongue move to her right nipple and circle around it until teeth pulled at it gently, while her left breast was kept warm by Delphine's cleaver hand.

The phone went on again and this time Cosima reached her hand out to lift it from the hock and shut it down again, just for it to stop. "Fuck off..." She said, but Delphine had stopped her exploration, looking up at Cosima with an amused grin. "Delphine, don't stop now!" And her hand found the blonde curls pushing them down gently, to encourage the continuation.

Delphine laughed softly, but did as Cosima asked, moving her lips to the increasingly hotter skin, resuming her journey south. Her deft hands remaining on the breasts of the woman who started to moan under her touch. And she was almost there when the annoying sound filled the room again.

"I better get that or it won't let me finish you off." Delphine said with a wink, picking up the receiver. "Yes?" She answered before Cosima could voice her protest. "Hmmh... Oh, okay." She looked down and to Cosima's astonishment pushed the phone to her. "It's for you." She explain, moving to the other side of the bed.

"Yeah?" Cosima tried, not really sure what to expect.

"Shit, Cos..." Sarah's voice. "What the fuck... Finally we found you."

"Is... Is everything okay?" Cosima asked, sensing some movement next to her and turning her head.

"You left your fucking cell at the table when you left and we tried your room, but you weren't there."

"Does this have a point?" Cosima saw Delphine move to the top of her to reach for the bottle of water again. "Why are you calling?"

"Ali lost her mind... I think she's trying to put her moves on Leekie..." Sarah said and by the tone she was dead serious.

Cosima started to laugh either way, because that was just too weird not to. "Like, for real?" The brunette's attention was divided between the clone on the phone and the blonde on top of her, who had finished the bottle of water and was now directing her attention to Cosima, lowering her head and starting to cover Cosima neck with little nips.

"Do you think I could make up shit like that?" Sarah's voice starting to sound a bit more distant when Delphine's lips started to move down.

"Okay... And what do you want from me?" Cosima continued either way. In her mind the blonde was just trying to keep her warm.

Sarah cleared her voice. "Well, here's the thing... You know how Alison is in a room alone and we can't just leave her there. So we thought: hey, Cos has a double room..."

"Well I'm obviously not in my room right now..." Cosima was trying to stay focus on the conversation she was having, but it was becoming harder as Delphine's mouth kept pressing lower, now just over her bellybutton, while warm hands were lightly caressing the sides of her breasts. "So..."

"But you and blondie still haven't worked things out?"

The brunette looked down at a Delphine settling between her legs. "I... Hmm... We're right in the middle of it actually..." Cosima answered, winking at the blonde when she raised her head, grinning widely.  _She's bluffing... She wouldn't..._

"What do you mean?" The voice on the other end was a bit confused.

"It means you're kind of interrupting something, Sarah..." Cosima breathed out a little harshly when the tip of the doctor's tongue slipped between her folds. "So if we could talk about this a little bit lat...  _Shit Delphine!"_

The French woman was done waiting and pushed Cosima's waist up with both her hands, giving one long stroke along the clone's heat. Moving quickly up her body, Delphine took the receiver from Cosima's now weak grasp. "You can talk in the morning!" And put it back on the hook. "Tonight you're mine." She then said to the woman beneath her.

Cosima swallowed dry. "I am?" She asked daring.

Delphine didn't answered lowering her head to place a hard kiss in the brunette's lips, who despite her words knew very well that she was not about to deny a thing the other woman asked. Specially when Delphine was fast recovering the previous position, her hands going around Cosima's lower back tugging it so she would raise it. Even without that encouragement she would, as soon as she felt a velvet tongue moving between her legs, her hips started to move upwards meeting the expert muscle.

Delphine was working her up slowly, long hard strokes that touched everything but where Cosima really wanted it. When the smaller woman's was getting used to it, Delphine changed tactics, the tip of her tongue moving in and out, just barely, from Cosima's entrance, teasing at every languid lick, allowing her hips to propel forward but never really going as deep as Cosima clearly needed.

"I thought I heard you say something along the lines of finishing me off." The clone said, trying to provoke Delphine to stop the teasing.

The blonde was not inclined to do it, even if she, after giving a gentle chuckle, which created a sinful shiver along Cosima's spine, moved it inside a little more, Delphine's tongue was nowhere near close to release the tattooed woman. Cosima was growing more impatient and, groaning, moved one of her hands from the vice grip on the pillow under her head to the blonde mane settled between her legs, pushing it down while her hips were starting to lose the controlled rhythm up. At this Delphine's own hands released her ass and gripped the top of Cosima's thighs to steady them and slid up the brunette's body, her tongue never losing contact with the feverish skin.

Reaching up, the French woman bumped her nose against Cosima's. "That's cheating..." She whispered before allowing the hand still entrapped in her curls to push her down for a long, deep kiss, swallowing Cosima's whimper when one of her fingers finally moved inside, giving a few thrusts.

"Fuck, Delphine. Please, keep going." Cosima said, releasing her mouth.

Delphine's smile was nothing short of a pleased winner. "Only if you promise to behave."

Cosima laughed. "Arrogant fucker!" It was unwise, she knew it the moment the words fell from her lips, but she couldn't help it.

First the smile in Delphine's lips turned into something a lot more dangerous, her eyes glared. The blonde was the personification of a wild predator dragged into a corner. A second finger joined inside Cosima's center and pushed deep, hard but slowly, Delphine's hips gave one long circle to press deeper. Before she knew, the brunette had one leg on the blonde's shoulder, who now on her knees kept going like that, for a few more thrusts and then started to curl her figures.

Cosima moaned, throwing her head back, her hips grinding down in a desperate search for the pressure the other woman was giving her with every balance of her waist.

"Open your eyes!" Delphine demanded with one hard push that made the headboard of the bed hit hard against the wall. Cosima did, staring at the gorgeous woman fucking her with such a devilish grin on her lips, obviously enjoying turning the clone into a series of moans. "Say you're sorry!"

Cosima had no idea how she was even able to still answer. "So not sorry."

"Wrong answer!" Delphine's grin only grew wider, pushing faster and incessantly circling Cosima's internal wall.

The clone's leg moved from the blonde's shoulder to wrap around her waist, pulling her down. Delphine's mouth muffling her moans when she came with a succession of shakes, turning her limbs to jelly.

Cosima's body was still trembling and she was yet to recover entirely from the explosion when she felt a tongue right over her clit, moving fast and with light flicks, making her hips swing up, even without she realize it. Lips joining on the effort, sucking the nub languidly. This time there were no hungry lips to cover her cries when Cosima shout the French woman's name, her fingers carving the headboard behind her, her back arching to the breaking point.

"Oh my... Fuuuck... Delphine!"

Delphine's digits moved from inside her, lighly stroking the sensitive skin as she climbed up the brunette's body, this time permanently, lightly nibbling on her journey up. Cosima surrounded her checks when they were at the same level. "Still not sorry." She said with husky voice and a wide smile.

The doctor laughed and brought their lips together, brushing gently. "Cheeky!"


	10. Chapter 10

They laid like that for a long time, Delphine's head on Cosima's shoulder, the slender body half draped on top of Cosima's half on the bed. The clone's arms loose around Delphine's lower back, her thumb rubbing gently the soft skin.

Cosima laughed, cutting the silence. "Can't believe Alison's trying to get Leekie."

"She's very drunk." Delphine said with a lazy smile, looking up.

"Yes... It's a problem." The brunette raised her hand to softly brush her knuckles on the blonde's rosy cheek, receiving a peck on the neck in return. Her heart swelling, the rawness of the last hour mixed with the intimacy of the last minutes doing nothing to help Cosima understand what that was.

"You will come, won't you?" Delphine's question whispered against her neck.

"I believe I just did..." Cosima joked, chuckling. "Give me some time to recover."

The doctor lifted her head, looking straight into her eyes. "To Paris." She clarified, with a tentative smile. "You'll come visit me in Paris?"

The sudden vulnerability in the other woman's features caught Cosima by surprise. It was so different from the woman who had just turned her into a series of moans, she was not even sure it was the same person. It the two days they've known each other, the blonde showed her many aspects of her personality, she got a glimpse of professional Delphine, shy Delphine, playful Delphine, daring Delphine and even angry Delphine. Cosima was not expecting to see such vulnerability in the French's eyes.

"Delphine, I..." Cosima started, swallowing the lump in her throat. "I don't know if..."

"It's okay." Delphine moved away from her body and got up. "I understand."

Cosima got up fast and pulled the blonde by the arm. "Fuck, Delphine, that's not it!" She said, forcing the taller woman to look at her. "It's not that I don't want to... like... I really do, but I don't know when I can."

"You don't have to say that!" Delphine said, trying to move away from Cosima's hold.

The clone let go of her arm, not sure how to deal with the situation, and watched the long legs take large strides to the bathroom and the door shut.

_Fuck, what did I got myself into?_ Cosima thought, throwing herself to the bed with a loud sigh, wondering if she should leave, if what they had was just sex,  _mind-blowing, amazing sex,_ but just sex. She heard the shower go off in the bathroom and decided to get up and just go there.  _Fuck it!_ If it's just sex, she's not about to waste what's left of the only night she had with the gorgeous woman.

Cosima wasn't sure if Delphine noticed her entering the bathroom, but she didn't linger, waiting for some sort of permission. The room a was already foggy from the hot water and she moved fast to open the door to the very large shower compartment.

"I don't know when I can visit you, but I'm here now." Cosima said, reaching the other woman's lean waist.

Delphine's body leaned against hers and her hands joined the clone's over her stomach. "I'm sorry, I didn't want to sound so..."

"Hey, it's okay." The smaller woman said, bringing her lips over her shoulder. "Forget about it."

Delphine turned and kissed Cosima softly, it was nothing like the urgent kisses they shared before, nor the purpose of the softness was teasing. It was really just a sweet kiss, lips on lips, the French woman's hands gently pressed against the brunette's cheeks, while Cosima's hands were pleasantly resting on Delphine's lower back.

_I'm so fucked!_ Cosima was feeling her heart beating faster and faster in her chest, not because of any physical desire, but because she realized she was more captivated by this woman than she could've possibly expect. Once more she pushed those feelings aside, burying them deep inside herself, so deep they wouldn't resurface easily.

When their lips parted Cosima thought she could see the same sort of sadness in Delphine's golden eyes. Until Cosima felt the hands that have been on her cheeks moved to the back of her neck and pulled her for a different kind of kiss, harder, rougher. She was thankful Delphine had decided to put more energy back in her touch, Cosima didn't know what drove the blonde to do it, but she welcomed it, satisfied to feel desire guide her hands again instead of feelings.

Cosima moved them lower, effectively pushing Delphine closer by her ass, provoking a deep moan from the other woman. If this was all they had, the clone was not going to throw it away just because her brain was screaming that she needed to tread carefully.

Delphine took the tip of Cosima's ear between her teeth softly. "Prends-moi!"

The whisper traveling from her ear directly to her groin. "Oh my god..." Cosima groaned, pushing the blonde against the tiled wall, her right hand moving to her front, covering the wet curls, while her mouth had gained mind of its own, determined to mark Delphine's neck as her territory long after they part ways.

Cosima woke up with the annoying sound of the room's phone going on and on. She lifted her head, for brief seconds disoriented, not knowing where she was. She looked around and found the bed empty, moved her hand to the pillow next to her and it was cold to the touch. Meanwhile the phone was not stopping.

Still half blinded, due to the bad slept night and the lack of glasses, she fumbled for the receiver on the nightstand, her hands brushing her glasses on the process.

"Yeah?" Cosima answered, clearing her throat after hearing her hoarse voice.

"Good morning, Ms. Niehaus!" A male voice she didn't recognize. "This is James, from the front desk." He introduced himself, Cosima still not getting a damn thing. "Dr. Cormier asked me to call at eleven, to make sure you're awake."

The events of last night flashing rapidly through her mind and she sat up, reaching her glasses, noticing a piece of paper under them. "Umm... Yeah, thanks." She said awkwardly and placed the phone down.

With her glasses on she held the paper, it was a simple white sheet, perhaps a little thicker than usual, with the hotel's monogram on top of it: "Had to catch the plane. Didn't want to wake you. Delphine."

The message was simple enough, there was no room for secondary interpretations, yet Cosima read and re-read it more times than she cared to count. Her mind screaming every time she read the lines: _I told you so!_ Still, Cosima looked carefully at the unfamiliar cursive, trying to foretell Delphine's disposition when she wrote those words. Did she hesitate? Was she sorry? For leaving? For spending the night with Cosima? Or did she want to get out of there as fast as possible? But it wouldn't matter, it wouldn't make a damn difference how many times the clone read it, how close she inspected the sharp handwriting, she could never tell.

Cosima gathered her things and went to her room, packing all her crap and moved to the front desk to check-out. Suddenly realizing that because she drove to LA she had to drive back to San Francisco. How come she didn't think about that earlier?

"You look like you've spent all night shagging!" She heard Felix whisper in her ear, surprising her just when she had finished with the clerk. "So, Frenchie? Good?" He asked, winking. Looking at him, she tried to smile, but didn't quite make it. "Wow, don't tell me she was a bust."

"It would've been better if that was true." Cosima answered, moving away from the desk so other people could be attended.

"What do you mean?" Felix looked at her with a worried expression.

"Nothing." She mumbled, reaching the other clones at the same table they were when she arrived two nights ago.

Alison was wearing sunglasses, her hand on her forehead and Sarah leaning over her, no doubt teasing the stiff clone about her behavior the previous night. Kira laughing and playing with Beth. Helena was no longer with them, she had been at the care of the DYAD and was probably on her way to wherever they were keeping her.

Sarah jumped when she noticed her foster brother with Cosima right behind him. "So... Last night, huh..." She teased, but stopped immediately at the sudden zip it movement Felix made.

"No, no... It's okay." Cosima sat down. "I mean... We both knew what it was." She tried to sound comfortable with the situation, not sure if she managed to fool them.

"Okay..." Beth said, turning her stare to the geek clone.

"But like..." Cosima breathed out. "She could've said goodbye, right? Who leaves a fu... freaking note?"

"Wow, that's cold." Alison seemed to be paying enough attention to the conversation to summarize what happened in two precise words.

"Right!?" Cosima agreed. "And I mean, it's not even like a nice note, it's like: yeah, had to go!" She moved her hands, really wanting to change the subject. "Whatever... So how did things go last night?"

"We're not sure." Beth explained. "After Ali's little revelation, everyone went to some sort of secret meeting."

"Yeah, we have no idea what they decided." Sarah continued. "But after they came out, Dr. Leekie seemed pretty pleased with himself."

"Yes, and Ali was trying to please him even more." Felix said, looking at the soccer mom trying to dive into the couch.

They had lunch together, but after Cosima figured it was time for her to leave, she had a long drive ahead, though this time she planned to take a much faster road.

"Are you sure you don't need company?" Beth asked as Cosima was waiting for the valet to bring her car around. "It's a long drive."

"No, Beth, thank you." Cosima said watching her car getting closer. "It's not like I don't have enough to keep me awake."

**The End**

**(for now)**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story will continue in the next instalment of the series, "What Now".

**Author's Note:**

> This is dedicated to everyone who believes the gorgeous blonde is a total topper (and they are not so few - me included).


End file.
